Tech Business & Industry Moves / Leadership changes

The new co-heads of Apple Music are Rachel Newman, a longtime Apple executive, and Ole Obermann, a former TikTok music veteran. Both will report to Oliver Schusser, who oversees various Apple services including Apple TV+ and sports initiatives.

In the global affairs division, Lisa Jackson will now oversee government relations teams in Europe and Asia, while Nick Ammann will manage teams in India and China. These changes are significant as they reflect Apple's efforts to streamline operations and address increasing government scrutiny globally.

Apple has made leadership changes in its Apple Music and global affairs divisions. In Apple Music, Rachel Newman and Ole Obermann will co-manage under Oliver Schusser. In global affairs, changes include aligning Asia and Europe teams with the US government affairs team, and Nick Annman will handle government affairs in India and China.

Apple is making these changes as part of its broader organizational strategy to address previous challenges and enhance its competitive position. The changes aim to streamline responsibilities and focus on key areas such as AI development and global operations.

Intel faces challenges such as regaining competitiveness, addressing manufacturing setbacks, and improving its position in AI and advanced semiconductors. The company is navigating a volatile macroeconomic environment and needs to make significant structural and cultural changes to succeed[1][3][5].

Lip-Bu Tan plans to implement deep structural and cultural changes at Intel, including a flatter organizational structure and significant workforce reductions. He aims to restore innovation, improve execution, and rebuild trust with customers. There are also discussions about potential strategic moves like splitting Intel's foundry unit from its processor design division[1][3][4].

The appointments of Ajay Singh (CPO), Brian Froehling (CRO), and Nilesh Patel (CSO) aim to enhance AI innovation, strengthen product development, and drive global growth as WEKA scales toward potential IPO readiness, following its $1.6B valuation and $100M+ annual recurring revenue milestone.

The appointments reflect WEKA's focus on late-stage scaling, with specialized roles in product strategy (CPO), revenue optimization (CRO), and long-term planning (CSO) to sustain hypergrowth after achieving unicorn status and expanding its global workforce to 500+ employees.

Horacio Manfredo's appointment is significant because he brings over 20 years of experience in technology and business development, including his previous roles at Amazon Web Services and EdgeUno Inc. His expertise in strategic partnerships and international expansion will support TigerDC's growth and innovation in AI-optimized and hyperscale data center solutions, helping the company meet increasing demand for AI-ready infrastructure.

AI-optimized data center solutions are infrastructure specifically designed to support the high computational demands of artificial intelligence workloads, ensuring efficient processing and scalability. Hyperscale data centers are large-scale facilities that provide massive computing power and storage capacity, enabling companies to handle extensive data and complex AI applications. TigerDC specializes in delivering these advanced infrastructures to meet the growing needs of AI and large-scale digital services.

Mark Rogers served as the Vice President of Western Europe and global enterprise sales at Apple. He was with the company for 27 years, holding the vice president position since 2013.

Following Mark Rogers' departure, Apple plans to divide his responsibilities between two executives, though specific details about these executives were not provided in the initial reports. However, it is mentioned that Juan Castellanos and Vivek Thakkar are stepping into expanded roles.

Apple's sales division operates within a broader organizational structure that emphasizes functional areas rather than product-based divisions. The departure of key executives could lead to changes in leadership dynamics and potentially impact collaboration across different functional teams. Apple's centralized hierarchy, with senior vice presidents overseeing specific functions, might see adjustments to maintain effective communication and innovation[1][3][5].

Apple's organizational structure supports innovation and collaboration by organizing around areas of expertise rather than products. This functional structure allows for better communication and coordination across departments, enabling rapid innovation. In sales and business development, teams collaborate across functions like engineering, marketing, and legal to drive growth and deliver customer experiences[3][4][5].

PolicyNote is an AI-powered policy management solution developed by FiscalNote that helps organizations efficiently track, analyze, and act on legislative and regulatory developments. It combines proprietary AI technology with comprehensive data and expert analysis to streamline the policy tracking process, enabling users to generate policy briefings quickly and respond to changes effectively.

Greg Alexander has been appointed as Vice President of Engineering, while Gerry Campbell has joined as a Strategic Advisor. Their appointments are part of FiscalNote's strategy to accelerate product-led growth and innovation, particularly in the development of AI-driven policy intelligence solutions.

Chirayu Shah has been appointed as Chief Product Officer, Sandy Joung as Chief Marketing Officer, and Bill Owen as Chief Services Officer.

These appointments aim to accelerate Cognite's global growth and innovation in industrial AI solutions by enhancing product strategy, marketing, and customer services.

When transitioning to a tech lead role, engineers should expect to take on responsibilities such as overseeing project direction, mentoring team members, ensuring code quality, coordinating with stakeholders, and making architectural decisions. They must also balance technical debt with feature development and lead by example through strong communication and technical expertise.

The role of a tech lead differs significantly from an individual contributor as it involves more leadership and less coding. Tech leads must develop strong communication and delegation skills, act as technical owners of systems, and guide their teams towards technical excellence. They need to be adept at mentoring, planning, and collaborating with various stakeholders.

Colin VanderSmith will focus on driving revenue growth, optimizing customer success, and enhancing sales operations. His experience in leading cloud and technology companies will help Mechanized AI expand its market presence in enterprise AI solutions.

Ian Easton's transition to Chief Strategy Officer will allow him to focus on business growth, corporate strategy, and market positioning. This shift supports Mechanized AI's efforts to strengthen alliances with technology and integration partners, further solidifying its position in the AI-powered enterprise transformation market.

Lip-Bu Tan plans to focus on revitalizing Intel's chip manufacturing capabilities, enhancing its AI strategies, and potentially reducing staff to streamline operations. He aims to restore Intel as a world-class products company and foundry, emphasizing customer satisfaction and shareholder value.

Lip-Bu Tan's experience as CEO of Cadence Design Systems, where he drove significant revenue growth and cultural transformation, suggests he will take a customer-centric and efficiency-focused approach at Intel. His background also indicates a willingness to make tough decisions, such as cost-cutting measures, to achieve business goals.

Lip-Bu Tan is a semiconductor industry veteran who previously served as CEO of Cadence Design Systems from 2009 to 2021. During his tenure, he significantly increased Cadence's revenue and expanded its operating margins. Tan also has extensive experience in the tech industry, including roles in investment and leadership across various companies (Times of India, 2025; Tom's Hardware, 2025; TechCrunch, 2025).

Intel faces significant challenges, including intense competition from rivals like Nvidia and AMD, and a recent financial downturn marked by an $18.8 billion net loss in 2024. Tan aims to restore Intel's status by focusing on innovation, customer satisfaction, and strategic risk-taking (Times of India, 2025; Tom's Hardware, 2025).

Lip-Bu Tan resigned from Intel's board in August 2024, citing 'demands on his time' in a regulatory filing. However, it was also reported that he had concerns about Intel's 'bloated workforce, risk-averse culture and lagging AI strategy' which led to clashes with former CEO Pat Gelsinger and other board members.

As Intel's new CEO, Lip-Bu Tan aims to remake the company by focusing on customer-centric innovation, developing high-performance cultures, and rebuilding Intel's process technology roadmap. He emphasizes the importance of teamwork and customer satisfaction to restore Intel's position as a leading products company and foundry.

Intel appointed Lip-Bu Tan as its new CEO due to his extensive experience in the semiconductor industry and his ability to drive innovation and growth. Tan previously served as CEO of Cadence Design Systems and has a proven track record of creating shareholder value. His appointment is part of Intel's efforts to revamp its business strategy and regain competitiveness in the market.

Intel faces significant challenges, including regaining market share, advancing its manufacturing capabilities, and competing effectively in the AI market. The company has struggled with a declining share price and missed opportunities in the AI boom. Under Tan's leadership, Intel aims to rebuild its process technology roadmap and improve its foundry business.

Lip-Bu Tan is a semiconductor industry veteran who previously served as CEO of Cadence Design Systems, leading the company to significant growth and a stock price appreciation of over 3,200%. He brings over 20 years of experience in the semiconductor and software sectors to Intel. Tan also has extensive industry relationships across product and foundry ecosystems, which could be beneficial for Intel's strategic plans.

With Lip-Bu Tan's appointment as CEO, David Zinsner will continue as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, while Michelle Johnston Holthaus will remain CEO of Intel Products. Frank D. Yeary will revert to his role as independent board chair. This transition aims to stabilize Intel's leadership and accelerate its turnaround efforts.

Lip-Bu Tan is a semiconductor industry veteran who previously served as the CEO of Cadence Design Systems from 2009 to 2021. During his tenure, he led a successful transformation that doubled revenue and significantly increased the company's stock price. Tan brings over 20 years of experience in semiconductors and software to Intel, along with deep relationships across product and foundry ecosystems.

As Intel's new CEO, Lip-Bu Tan will face significant challenges, including restoring investor confidence, navigating intense competition in the semiconductor industry, particularly from companies like TSMC and Nvidia, and advancing Intel's foundry strategy. The company has struggled with AI chip market competition and a decline in stock value.