Intel Appoints Qualcomm Veteran Alex Katouzian to Lead PC and Physical AI Unit
QCOM•Intel has appointed Alex Katouzian, a 20-year Qualcomm veteran, as Executive VP and GM of its PC and Physical AI unit, effective May 2026, marking Intel’s second senior hire from Qualcomm following Eric Demers’s GPU leadership in January. Katouzian’s move highlights intensifying talent competition in client computing, robotics and AI devices.
1. Appointment Details
Intel announced that Alex Katouzian will assume the role of Executive Vice President and General Manager of its Client Computing and Physical AI business in May 2026. He will report directly to CEO Lip-Bu Tan, overseeing the traditional PC segment alongside systems powering robotics, autonomous machines and other AI-enabled devices.
2. Qualcomm Career Overview
Katouzian brings over 20 years of experience from Qualcomm, where he served as Executive VP and Group GM of Mobile, Compute and Extended Reality, developing processors for smartphones and emerging gadgets. His tenure included leadership of Snapdragon platforms and partnerships across automotive and industrial AI ecosystems.
3. Strategic Implications
This marks Intel’s second senior hire from Qualcomm after Eric Demers’s January appointment to lead GPU architecture. The departure underscores fierce competition for AI and chip talent, potentially challenging Qualcomm’s capacity to retain expertise as Intel pivots its PC business into faster-growing physical AI markets.
