Intel names Alex Katouzian EVP of Client Computing & Physical AI, confirms Pushkar Ranade as CTO
Intel is reshaping its leadership to steer what it describes as the next phase of the AI revolution, appointing Alex Katouzian as executive vice president of a new Client Computing & Physical AI group and confirming Pushkar Ranade as Chief Technology Officer. Both executives will report directly to CEO Lip-Bu Tan.
Katouzian joins from Qualcomm, where he oversaw mobile technologies, compute and extended reality (XR). His move is viewed in the industry as a notable win for the Santa Clara chipmaker and underscores Intel’s message that the future of computing extends beyond the traditional PC.
The new Physical AI unit will focus on embedding artificial intelligence into the physical world, spanning robotics, autonomous machines and advanced edge devices. Since taking the helm as CEO, Tan has pursued a strategic reorientation at Intel. He has argued the sector is in a transition in which AI is no longer confined to data centers but is increasingly deployed at the edge, where applications run closer to where data is generated.
Tan said Katouzian brings deep technical expertise and decades of experience scaling global compute platforms, calling him the right leader to help reinvent the PC and position Intel for the next growth wave in physical AI. Ranade, who had been serving as interim CTO, is now confirmed in the role and will chart long-term strategy for emerging technologies Intel expects to shape the industry in the coming decades.
He will also retain his position as chief of staff to the CEO, a dual mandate intended to keep technology roadmaps closely aligned with the company’s commercial priorities. With these twin appointments, Intel signals an intent to bridge near-term, consumer-facing AI applications with the foundational advances it believes will define tomorrow’s computing landscape.