Qualcomm has hired a key Intel Foundry executive as head of global supply chain. The move is seen as a bid to strengthen supply chain management across memory and non-memory as AI infrastructure investment competition intensifies.
Qualcomm said on the 26th (local time) that it appointed Kevin O'Buckley, who served as senior vice president at Intel Foundry since May 2024, as senior vice president of global operations and supply chain. His term starts on Mar. 2, and he will report directly to CFO/COO Akash Palkhiwala.
O'Buckley will oversee Qualcomm's semiconductor operations end to end, including manufacturing engineering, foundry and supplier partnerships, supply chain, and procurement. Qualcomm said he is a leader who has guided complex engineering and supply chain environments over more than 30 years at Intel as well as IBM, GLOBALFOUNDRIES Inc., and Marvell. COO Palkhiwala also said he is "a leader who will strengthen our ability to supply products at scale in high-performance, low-power computing, AI, and connectivity."
O'Buckley joined Intel Foundry in May 2024 during former CEO Pat Gelsinger's tenure to lead the acquisition of external customers and the expansion of custom semiconductor production. He noted that while semiconductor demand has surged with the spread of AI, the industry has not secured sufficient scale.
However, Intel Foundry has failed to deliver clear results in attracting external customers and in custom production. Some customer wins are mentioned for the 1.4-nanometer-class "Intel 14A" process, slated for commercialization after 2027, but nothing is final. As CEO Lip-Bu Tan, who took office last year, pushed to simplify decision-making, the organization was restructured, and as COO Naga Chandrasekaran took on integrated responsibility for manufacturing, supply chain, and service, O'Buckley's role is said to have been reduced.
Intel said, "We appreciate O'Buckley's contributions, and Foundry remains a top strategic priority," adding that it will strengthen execution under Naga Chandrasekaran's leadership.