7 ms·

Relationships among employees are very hard to keep concealed -- especially so when you're in a very exposed position, as a CEO is. At some point, somebody is g

Relationships among employees are very hard to keep concealed -- especially so when you're in a very exposed position, as a CEO is. At some point, somebody is going to notice something. If this is the case, then I'm pretty sure that this knowledge had reached the board long before. Rumors spread fast, after all. That leaves me to wonder as to the timing of this action. Krzanich received a lot of flak over the past months... it's not entirely unthinkable that the board was sitting on this information and only now used it to get rid of Krzanich without making it look like it's one of the other major issues he could technically be blamed with.

arcanus 8y ago
> That leaves me to wonder as to the timing of this action. Krzanich received a lot of flak over the past months... it's not entirely unthinkable that the board was sitting on this information and only now used it to get rid of Krzanich without making it look like it's one of the other major issues he could technically be blamed with. Agreed. AMD is breathing down INTC's neck, particularly in servers. Board wants a different direction.
- Symmetry 8y ago
  It's not just that. There's also the problems with 10nm. The prevaricating about the problems with 10nm. Meltdown. The 28 core 5 GHz demonstration where they misled people about overclocking. A whole bunch of stuff makes me feel like Intel just hasn't been a company I can trust while Krzanich has been at the helm.
  - mistersquid 8y ago
    Krzanich also presided during the Spectre and Meltdown vulnerabilities for which Intel's messaging left much to be desired. Krzanich is also suspected by some to have engaged in insider trading. [0] https://news.alphastreet.com/chipmaker-giant-intels-ceo-brian-krzanich-resigns/ https://news.alphastreet.com/chipmaker-giant-intels-ceo-bria...
    - manquer 8y ago
      Perhaps he was selling coz he figured the relationship will surface soon and wanted out ?
      - jl2718 8y ago
        Or the reverse?
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]
erikb 8y ago
Well, he could just use it himself, e.g. if he at least wants to keep a rather clean image on paper, and maybe the biggest trouble isn't even public knowledge yet.
- ckastner 8y ago
  Indeed, at least to a certain degree. You'd expect a CEO being fired over such a technicality to at least fight back, instead of fully cooperating.
  - ghostbrainalpha 8y ago
    If you wanted to preserve your maximum reputation score for a potential future job as a CEO... Would you want to be fired for...? A) Being a bad CEO who can't produce profits B) Having an inappropriate relationship with an employee For Mark Hurd, he was able to transition from one great job into another, CEO of Oracle, even after the embarrassment of (B).
    - bitL 8y ago
      Dunno, inappropriate relationships (especially when combined with "me too") are right now a complete career suicide/murder. Incompetent CEOs have a higher chance of ending up as CEOs somewhere else; Brian was also CEO of a long-time #1, so there are quite a few achievements under his belt. Without his demos I personally wouldn't be running multiple NUCs and having Intel Jimmy walking/talking at home. I am more worried that the type of ousting (past inappropriate relationship, i.e. likely a few years back) signalizes a new level of sociopathy at the top, bringing a ruthless dark age to Intel, full of internal dissection and agony. I assume the investors/shareholders that had Intel as one of their crown jewels and golden geese are getting very nervous about losing profit and are throwing away any resemblance of humanness, acting as spoiled children, grabbing whatever they could.
tw04 8y ago
Like the insider trading thing that somehow never was investigated?
- daxorid 8y ago
  You don't get investigated or railroaded for insider trading if you do what the NSA/CIA/FBI tells you to do. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Nacchio https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Nacchio <tinfoilhat>Covert access to IME may have saved Krzanich's bacon.</tinfoilhat>
  - tw04 8y ago
    Was literally thinking the exact same thing. It's a travesty that wrong was never fixed. All those qwest employees got completely screwed so that the government could make a point that nobody is untouchable.
- rando444 8y ago
  I was thinking this too. If insider trading as obvious as his wasn't prosecuted, it paints the picture that it's only ever prosecuted for political reasons. Which is maybe more true than one would hope.
bitL 8y ago
Of course they were sitting on it. However, I don't understand why didn't they go the usual nice route - Brian, how can we quickly get rid of you when we need to? Is $10M enough to cover any inconveniences? Enjoy your retirement and see you at the golf course! Game of Thrones Season 80x86?
- adventured 8y ago
  That may have occurred (in your scenario) because he wasn't interested in giving up his position quietly, so they went public to force the issue.
- mathattack 8y ago
  Probably more than 10mm if they don’t claw back equity and golden parachutes.
  - sireat 8y ago
    I read it as 10nm and thought how appropriate :)

arcanus 8y ago

> That leaves me to wonder as to the timing of this action. Krzanich received a lot of flak over the past months... it's not entirely unthinkable that the board was sitting on this information and only now used it to get rid of Krzanich without making it look like it's one of the other major issues he could technically be blamed with. Agreed. AMD is breathing down INTC's neck, particularly in servers. Board wants a different direction.

Symmetry 8y ago
It's not just that. There's also the problems with 10nm. The prevaricating about the problems with 10nm. Meltdown. The 28 core 5 GHz demonstration where they misled people about overclocking. A whole bunch of stuff makes me feel like Intel just hasn't been a company I can trust while Krzanich has been at the helm.
- mistersquid 8y ago
  Krzanich also presided during the Spectre and Meltdown vulnerabilities for which Intel's messaging left much to be desired. Krzanich is also suspected by some to have engaged in insider trading. [0] https://news.alphastreet.com/chipmaker-giant-intels-ceo-brian-krzanich-resigns/ https://news.alphastreet.com/chipmaker-giant-intels-ceo-bria...
  - manquer 8y ago
    Perhaps he was selling coz he figured the relationship will surface soon and wanted out ?
    - jl2718 8y ago
      Or the reverse?
deleted 8y ago
[deleted]

erikb 8y ago

Well, he could just use it himself, e.g. if he at least wants to keep a rather clean image on paper, and maybe the biggest trouble isn't even public knowledge yet.

ckastner 8y ago
Indeed, at least to a certain degree. You'd expect a CEO being fired over such a technicality to at least fight back, instead of fully cooperating.
- ghostbrainalpha 8y ago
  If you wanted to preserve your maximum reputation score for a potential future job as a CEO... Would you want to be fired for...? A) Being a bad CEO who can't produce profits B) Having an inappropriate relationship with an employee For Mark Hurd, he was able to transition from one great job into another, CEO of Oracle, even after the embarrassment of (B).
  - bitL 8y ago
    Dunno, inappropriate relationships (especially when combined with "me too") are right now a complete career suicide/murder. Incompetent CEOs have a higher chance of ending up as CEOs somewhere else; Brian was also CEO of a long-time #1, so there are quite a few achievements under his belt. Without his demos I personally wouldn't be running multiple NUCs and having Intel Jimmy walking/talking at home. I am more worried that the type of ousting (past inappropriate relationship, i.e. likely a few years back) signalizes a new level of sociopathy at the top, bringing a ruthless dark age to Intel, full of internal dissection and agony. I assume the investors/shareholders that had Intel as one of their crown jewels and golden geese are getting very nervous about losing profit and are throwing away any resemblance of humanness, acting as spoiled children, grabbing whatever they could.

tw04 8y ago

Like the insider trading thing that somehow never was investigated?

daxorid 8y ago
You don't get investigated or railroaded for insider trading if you do what the NSA/CIA/FBI tells you to do. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Nacchio https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Nacchio <tinfoilhat>Covert access to IME may have saved Krzanich's bacon.</tinfoilhat>
- tw04 8y ago
  Was literally thinking the exact same thing. It's a travesty that wrong was never fixed. All those qwest employees got completely screwed so that the government could make a point that nobody is untouchable.
rando444 8y ago
I was thinking this too. If insider trading as obvious as his wasn't prosecuted, it paints the picture that it's only ever prosecuted for political reasons. Which is maybe more true than one would hope.

bitL 8y ago

Of course they were sitting on it. However, I don't understand why didn't they go the usual nice route - Brian, how can we quickly get rid of you when we need to? Is $10M enough to cover any inconveniences? Enjoy your retirement and see you at the golf course! Game of Thrones Season 80x86?

adventured 8y ago
That may have occurred (in your scenario) because he wasn't interested in giving up his position quietly, so they went public to force the issue.
mathattack 8y ago
Probably more than 10mm if they don’t claw back equity and golden parachutes.
- sireat 8y ago
  I read it as 10nm and thought how appropriate :)