Intel has a new CIO - Cindy Stoddard is the new SVP and Chief Information Officer
December 18 , 2025
Intel Corporation
NASDAQ: INTC
2200 Mission College Boulevard
Santa Clara, CA 95054-1549
United States
Main Phone: (408) 765-8080
Website: https://www.intel.com
Industry Sector: Technology, Semiconductors
Full Time Employees: 88,400
Fiscal Year End: December 31
Annual Revenues: $53.44 Billion USD
CEO: Lip-Bu Tan, CEO & Director
Fortune 500 Rank: #79
In a significant leadership move that signals Intel's deepening commitment to internal renewal, the company announced on November 18, 2025, the appointment of Cynthia "Cindy" Stoddard as senior vice president and chief information officer. Effective December 1, Stoddard stepped into a role that has grown increasingly pivotal amid Intel's broader efforts to modernize its operations and reclaim momentum in a fiercely competitive semiconductor landscape. Reporting directly to CEO Lip-Bu Tan, she now oversees the company's global IT organization, tasked with steering a comprehensive digital overhaul at a time when technology infrastructure can make or break enterprise-scale innovation.
Stoddard's arrival comes as Intel navigates a transformative period under Tan's leadership. The company, long a titan in chip design and manufacturing, has faced mounting pressures in recent years—from intensifying rivalry with firms like AMD and Nvidia to the complexities of scaling advanced manufacturing processes. Legacy systems, built over decades of dominance in the PC era, have at times hindered agility, particularly as the industry shifts toward AI-driven workloads and cloud-integrated ecosystems. Tan himself has emphasized that the CIO position is no longer peripheral but central to strengthening Intel's operational backbone, modernizing outdated infrastructure, and forging closer ties with AI platform providers. In Stoddard, Intel has found a leader whose track record aligns closely with these priorities.
Intel Org Chart - Executive Leadership Team
Intel Org Chart - Board of Directors
With more than 25 years in technology leadership, Stoddard brings a wealth of experience navigating large-scale transformations across diverse industries. Her most recent tenure was at Adobe, where she served as senior vice president and chief information officer for nearly nine years. There, she orchestrated a sweeping modernization of the company's technology foundation, guiding Adobe through its pivotal shift to a cloud-first, SaaS-dominated model. Under her stewardship, Adobe accelerated its cloud migration, bolstered enterprise data strategies, and integrated advanced capabilities in AI, automation, and cybersecurity. These efforts not only supported Adobe's growth into a multi-billion-dollar operation spanning over 70 countries but also earned her organization repeated recognition, including CIO 100 Awards in multiple years for innovative business value delivery.
What stands out in Stoddard's Adobe chapter is her ability to align IT closely with business outcomes. She transformed the IT function into a proactive partner, enabling always-on platforms that powered Adobe's creative tools and subscription services. Initiatives like enhancing data accessibility through custom workbenches and scaling robotic process automation (RPA) helped streamline operations and foster innovation. Colleagues and industry observers have noted her knack for building high-performing teams that prioritize operational rigor while embracing emerging technologies. This business-centric approach—treating IT as a driver of growth rather than a cost center—earned her spots on prestigious lists, such as the Forbes CIO roster and Forbes 50 Over 50.
Before Adobe, Stoddard's career trajectory revealed her versatility in handling complex, global operations. At NetApp, where she spent over four years as senior vice president and chief information officer, she led technology transformations for a major player in data storage and management. She expanded IT's focus on innovation and customer-facing programs, earning accolades for turning the function into a strategic asset. Earlier roles at Safeway, a large retail chain, and logistics firms like APL (American President Lines) and Consolidated Freightways honed her expertise in supply chain and operational efficiency. These experiences in retail and transportation—industries rife with intricate logistics and real-time data demands—equipped her with insights into managing high-stakes environments where downtime is costly and precision is paramount.
Stoddard's educational background further underscores her grounded, analytical approach. She holds a bachelor's degree in accounting from Western New England University and a master's in business administration from Marylhurst University. This blend of financial acumen and strategic management has informed her leadership style, often emphasizing measurable returns on technology investments and robust governance.
For Intel, Stoddard's appointment is more than a personnel change; it's a strategic inflection point. The semiconductor giant has been vocal about its turnaround ambitions, bolstered in part by U.S. government support through initiatives like the CHIPS and Science Act. Yet internal challenges persist: modernizing sprawling legacy systems that support everything from chip design to fab operations, integrating vast amounts of enterprise data for better decision-making, and embedding AI to enhance productivity across the board. In manufacturing-intensive sectors like semiconductors, where fabs operate with razor-thin margins and enormous complexity, a robust IT backbone is essential for predictive maintenance, supply chain resilience, and rapid innovation cycles.
Tan articulated this clearly in the announcement: "The CIO role has become increasingly strategic for Intel as we modernize our legacy systems, strengthen our operational backbone, and build deeper partnerships with AI platform companies. Cindy is a proven enterprise technology leader whose expertise in large-scale digital transformation will be instrumental as we build Intel's foundation for long-term success." Stoddard's mandate includes advancing Intel's internal AI-enabled IT initiatives, ensuring secure and swift data flows, and fostering a culture where technology accelerates engineering excellence.
Intel Org Chart - Corporate Structure
Stoddard herself expressed enthusiasm for the opportunity, stating, "Intel's commitment to engineering excellence and innovation creates tremendous opportunities to leverage technology in transformative ways. I'm excited to join the team and help build the digital infrastructure that will support Intel's next chapter of growth." Her words reflect a shared vision: positioning IT not just as support but as a catalyst for Intel's resurgence in AI, foundry services, and beyond.
In the broader context of the tech industry, this hire highlights the evolving stature of CIOs. No longer confined to back-office functions, today's chief information officers often drive enterprise-wide change, particularly in companies grappling with digital disruption. For hardware-focused firms like Intel, where physical manufacturing intersects with software and data, the CIO's influence extends to competitive differentiation. Stoddard's logistics background could prove particularly valuable as Intel expands its foundry business, aiming to serve external clients with the same precision it applies internally.
Industry analysts have viewed the appointment positively, seeing it as a signal of Intel's seriousness about operational excellence amid ongoing restructuring. While challenges remain—from workforce adjustments to market share battles—bringing in a leader of Stoddard's caliber suggests a deliberate focus on building resilience from within. Her emphasis on high-performance teams and customer-focused innovation could help bridge Intel's storied engineering heritage with the demands of a data-driven future.
As Stoddard settles into her role just weeks after assuming it, the tech world will watch closely. Intel's ability to execute on digital transformation could influence not only its own trajectory but also the broader U.S. push for semiconductor leadership. With a seasoned navigator at the helm of its IT organization, the company appears poised to tackle these ambitions head-on, blending proven expertise with forward-looking strategy.
In the end, appointments like this remind us that corporate turnarounds often hinge on people as much as technology. Stoddard's journey—from accounting roots to leading transformations at iconic companies—embodies the kind of thoughtful, experienced leadership that complex organizations need in turbulent times. For Intel, this could mark the beginning of a more agile, innovative era.
