Justin Hotard, a seasoned HPE [ppp1] executive specializing in artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing (HPC), has been appointed as the executive vice president and general manager of Intel’s Data Center and AI Group. This strategic move, announced on Thursday, underscores Intel’s commitment to bolstering its presence in the competitive AI technology sector.
Assuming the role previously held by Sandra Rivera as the CEO of the Programmable Solutions Group, Hotard’s appointment comes as Intel prepares to spin off the division into a standalone entity in anticipation of an Offering, effective January 1.
Hotard’s arrival at Intel coincides with a challenging landscape where the company faces formidable competition from various industry players. Notably, AMD’s EPYC chips have positioned the company as a strong rival to Intel in the data center market. Additionally, the emergence of new players offering Arm-based server solutions for cloud data centers poses a new challenge. Furthermore, Nvidia’s dominance in the server market, driven by advancements in AI technology, has paved the way for increased market entry by other competitors.
In response to these market dynamics, Intel has diversified its product portfolio, now encompassing Xeon CPUs tailored for diverse workloads, server GPUs optimized for AI and HPC tasks, and Gaudi accelerators. Given the rapid growth projected for the AI sector, Hotard’s key objective will revolve around seamlessly integrating Intel’s product offerings into AI-centric systems.
Pat Gelsinger, Intel’s CEO, commended Hotard’s proven track record in fostering growth and innovation within the data center and AI realms. Known for his customer-centric approach, Hotard is poised to leverage Intel’s capabilities to empower clients and drive transformative advancements for years to come.
Prior to his tenure at Intel, Hotard spearheaded Hewlett Packard Labs, the tech giant’s premier applied research division, and held pivotal roles as the executive vice president and general manager of HPE’s AI and HPC division. With a background in leadership roles at NCR Small Business, Symbol Technologies, and Motorola, where he focused on business development and operations, Hotard brings a wealth of experience to his new position at Intel.
