In an unexpected turn of events Justin Hotard, the executive vice president and general manager of the Data Center and AI Group (DCAI) at Intel, left the company to become chief executive of Nokia. Intel has appointed an internal head for its datacenter and AI unit and will start searching for a new permanent general manager immediately.
"We have a strong DCAI team that will continue to advance our priorities in service to our customers," a statement by Intel reads. "Karin Eibschitz Segal has been appointed interim head of the DCAI business and is an accomplished executive with nearly two decades of Intel leadership experience spanning products, systems and infrastructure roles. We are grateful for Justin Hotard's contributions and wish him the best in his new role."
Justin Hotard joined Intel from HPE in early 2024. His tenure was arguably a mixed bag, though much of what he oversaw was more or less in place before he arrived. Intel successfully launched its Xeon 6 'Granite Rapids' and 'Sierra Forest' CPUs for servers, but sales of its Gaudi 3 processors for AI missed the company's own rather modest expectations. In addition, the company had to cancel its Falcon Shores as a product and delay its Clearwater Forest datacenter CPU by at least a quarter.
Justin Hotard has over 25 years of experience working at major technology companies. Before joining Intel, he held leadership positions at Hewlett Packard Enterprise and NCR Corporation. His background includes expertise in AI and datacenter markets, which are said to be critical areas for Nokia's future.
"I am delighted to welcome Justin to Nokia," said Sari Baldauf, Chair of Nokia’s Board of Directors. "He has a strong track record of accelerating growth in technology companies along with vast expertise in AI and datacenter markets, which are critical areas for Nokia's future growth. In his previous positions, and throughout the selection process, he has demonstrated the strategic insight, vision, leadership and value creation mindset required for a CEO of Nokia."
Nokia's current CEO Pekka Lundmark will step down on March 31, 2025, and Justin Hotard will take over the role starting April 1, 2025. Lundmark will stay on as an advisor until the end of the year. Hotard will be based in Espoo, Finland, where Nokia’s headquarters are located.
Lundmark has led Nokia since 2020, a period marked by significant challenges. Under his leadership, the company strengthened its position in 5G technology, cloud-based network infrastructure, and patent licensing. With this leadership change, Nokia aims to continue its transformation, focusing on AI, datacenters, and next-generation connectivity.
"I am honored by the opportunity to lead Nokia, a global leader in connectivity with a unique heritage in technology," said Justin Hotard. "Networks are the backbone that power society and businesses, and enable generational technology shifts like the one we are currently experiencing in AI. I am excited to get started and look forward to continuing Nokia's transformation journey to maximize its potential for growth and value creation."
Justin Hotard leaves a couple of months after Pat Gelsinger, chief executive of Intel, was ousted by the board of directors. As a result, Intel now does not have a permanent CEO or a permanent head of its key DCAI unit.
