Samsung Electronics Semiconductor Executive Moves to Intel... Takes Charge of Foundry Again

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] An executive who was in charge of the foundry (semiconductor contract manufacturing) business at Samsung Electronics has moved to Intel. In March, Intel announced its 'IDM (Integrated Device Manufacturer) 2.0' strategy, stating its intention to re-enter the foundry business and establish an independent foundry division called 'Intel Foundry Services (IFS)'. This move is interpreted as part of the process of attracting industry experts.

According to industry sources on the 10th, Hao Hong, former head of the foundry division at Samsung Electronics' U.S. subsidiary, recently announced on his social media that he has started working as Vice President of Global Business Development for Intel's Foundry Services from this month. Hao Hong graduated from the University of Science and Technology of China and completed his master's and doctoral degrees at Stanford University. After working at Silicon Graphics and semiconductor company LSI Logic, he joined Samsung Electronics in 2008 and has been in charge of semiconductor-related businesses for 13 years, overseeing the foundry business since 2014.

Hao Hong said, "I have joined Intel's newly launched foundry business, IFS," adding, "This is an exciting time as the semiconductor industry, especially the foundry sector, is being reorganized. Also, Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger is showcasing a new Intel through the IDM 2.0 strategy, which centers on the success of IFS, making this an interesting time for Intel as well." He expressed enthusiasm, stating, "I look forward to working with current and future customers and partners."

According to IT media outlet CRN, Intel's IFS head, Randhir Thakur, recently announced in a memo to employees that Hao Hong, who was responsible for Samsung's North American foundry business, has been appointed as Vice President of IFS. Thakur described him as "a person who oversaw all aspects of business strategy and execution including marketing, business development, and sales at Samsung," and said he will be responsible for establishing IFS business strategy and expanding foundry revenue and customer base.

In addition to Hao Hong, Intel also announced the appointment of Bob Brennan, former Vice President in charge of Emerging Memory Systems at Micron and who worked at Samsung Electronics for over five years from 2013 to 2018, as Vice President of Customer Design Enablement at IFS. Brennan worked at Intel for 22 years starting in 2009 before moving to Samsung Electronics to handle semiconductor-related tasks, and then joined Micron in 2018, where he worked for three years.

The foundry market is tense about Intel's business re-entry. Considering Intel's market position and financial strength, it is seen as a factor that could shake the market in the mid to long term. Currently, the industry leader is Taiwan's TSMC, followed by Samsung Electronics in second place, with Taiwan's UMC and U.S. GlobalFoundries each holding 7% for third place, and China's SMIC trailing with 4%. For now, since Intel's technology is significantly behind TSMC and Samsung Electronics, it is evaluated that catching up in the short term will not be easy.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.