Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan promises to give more power to engineers: We are going to really ...

Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan recently said that he wants to make the company leaner and more efficient by working closely with engineers to create better products based on customer feedback. Speaking at Intel’s ‘Vision’ event in Las Vegas, Tan shared that he spends weekends with engineers and architects. Emphasizing that Intel needs to give its engineers more freedom to experiment with new ideas, something he says has been lacking in recent years. “We're going to really drive some new ideas, giving engineers freedom to innovate from within,” he said.
“My weekend is usually packed with a lot of engineers and architects. They have some brilliant ideas, they want to change the world, and that's where I get excited to work closely with them.”
The CEO said that his primary focus will be on recruiting and keeping engineers. “We lost quite a bit of talent. That's my top priority, to recruit some of the best talent in the industry to come back and then to rejoin or join Intel,” Tan said.
Tan joined Intel earlier this month. During the event, he said that after joining the company, he spent his first weeks meeting customers, many of whom feel Intel has not met their expectations. He encouraged them to be brutally honest with their feedback, saying it was the most valuable way to improve.
"Please be brutally honest with us. This is what I expect of you this week, and I believe harsh feedback is most valuable," Tan said.
Previous reports suggest Tan is looking to cut unnecessary layers of middle management, which he believes slows down progress. At a recent town hall meeting, Tan warned employees that difficult choices would be necessary, according to sources briefed on the meeting. Semiconductor expert Dylan Patel noted that former CEO Pat Gelsinger was "too nice" and hesitated to trim middle management as needed.