Intel poaches HPE exec Justin Hotard to lead its Data Center and AI Group

Intel has announced the appointment of HPE executive Justin Hotard as executive vice president and general manager of its Data Center and AI Group.

Reporting to CEO Pat Gelsinger, Hotard will take the reins of Intel’s suite of data center products for the enterprise and cloud – which includes the firm’s Xeon processors, graphics processing units (GPUs), and accelerators.

A seasoned industry veteran, he brings more than 20 years’ experience in driving transformation and growth at computing and data center businesses, as well as specialism in delivering scalable enterprise AI systems.

In an announcement, Gelsinger said Hotard’s expertise will help Intel push forward with its data center ambitions, as well as its plans to “bring AI everywhere.”

“Justin is a proven leader with a customer-first mindset and has an impressive track record in driving growth and innovation in the data center and AI,” he said.

“Justin is committed to our vision to create world-changing technologies and passionate about the critical role Intel will play in empowering our customers for decades to come.”

Hotard joins Intel from HPE, where he most recently served as executive vice president and general manager of the company’s High-Performance Computing and AI business group, as well as Hewlett Packard Labs.

In that role, he was responsible for delivering AI capabilities to customers with data-intensive workloads while also directing the firm’s central applied research group.

Before beginning his spell at HPE in 2015, he previously served as president of NCR’s Small Business unit and held corporate development and operating positions at Symbol Technologies and Motorola.

At Intel, Hotard replaces Sandra Rivera, who left the position on January 1 to become chief executive officer of Intel’s Programmable Solutions Group, which it recently spun off as a standalone business.

“I am excited about my next chapter to lead the Data Center and AI Business Group at Intel Corporation,” Hotard said in a post on LinkedIn.

“I look forward to joining Pat Gelsinger and his talented team to contribute to its vision to create world-changing technologies and deliver on Intel’s mission to bring AI everywhere.”