Updated:Intel announced earlierNew personnel orderThis confirms that Alex Katouzian has officially joined Intel as Executive Vice President and General Manager of Client Computing and Entity AI.
If Cristiano Amon is currently Qualcomm's front-line leader, then Alex Katouzian is the key figure behind the scenes (though he also frequently appears in the spotlight) driving Qualcomm's successful transformation from a networking chipmaker into a mobile and edge computing giant. This highly respected figure in the industry, almost inseparable from the CEO, unexpectedly announced his departure from Qualcomm on Sunday (US time) through...Personal LinkedInHe announced that he will be leaving Qualcomm, where he has worked for nearly 25 years, to prepare for a "new chapter" in his life.
The key figure who witnessed the rise of the Snapdragon empire
Alex Katouzian posted a heartfelt farewell message on his personal LinkedIn profile: "After nearly 25 years at Qualcomm, it's time for me to begin a new chapter. Any success I've experienced has been built on the shoulders of many Qualcomm giants." Katouzian also thanked the Qualcomm team, customers, and partners, but did not disclose his future plans.
Looking back at Alex Katouzian's resume, it is almost equivalent to Qualcomm's development history over the past 20 years.
• Deeply involved in wireless and multimedia:He has 35 years of extensive experience in the relevant field.
• From 3G to Operations Manager:After joining Qualcomm in 2002, he started in 3G product management and was promoted to head of mobile products in 2006.
• Cross-foot computing and XR:He has served as Senior Vice President of Mobile and Computing since 2017, and will be promoted to Executive Vice President of Mobile, Computing and XR in 2025.
For many media outlets and industry professionals, Alex Katouzian's face is all too familiar. He has delivered keynote speeches on behalf of Qualcomm at Computex on numerous occasions, and in 2018, he wore a "Superman-style" T-shirt at the Snapdragon Summit in Hawaii.Snapdragon 855 computing platformThe images were even more impressive. He witnessed firsthand and successfully propelled Qualcomm to establish a massive Snapdragon computing platform brand image, encompassing mobile phones, XR, automotive, and PCs.
The bombshell on the eve of Computex 2026: Who will fill in?
Alex Katouzian's decision to leave at this time is quite intriguing.
As AI PCs become a hot topic in the market, Qualcomm is aggressively targeting the Windows PC market, which was previously dominated by Intel and AMD, with its Snapdragon X-series chips. It is also collaborating with Microsoft to promote the Copilot+ PC product design, enabling OEMs such as ASUS, Acer, Lenovo, HP, and Samsung to launch a variety of Windows PC products equipped with Snapdragon X-series chips, emphasizing that this will further drive the growth of the AI PC application market.
Alex Katouzian was originally scheduled to be the keynote speaker at the "The Rise of Personalized AI Devices" forum during the upcoming Computex 2026. However, with Katouzian's departure, the question remains: will CEO Cristiano Amon personally deliver this crucial presentation for Qualcomm's AI PC market strategy, or will a new senior executive take the stage? Qualcomm has not yet provided a clear answer, nor has it responded to the news of Katouzian's departure.
Analysis of viewpoints
Alex Katouzian's departure is clearly a major generational shift and personnel upheaval for Qualcomm.
As a key figure who has long led the mobile and computing division, Alex Katouzian has shouldered Qualcomm's two biggest strategic transformations in the past few years: first, to continuously enhance the flagship brand value of Snapdragon in a saturated smartphone market; and second, to lead Qualcomm into the Windows on Arm PC market and the XR field.
While the true reason for Alex Katouzian's departure remains unknown—whether it was a successful retirement, disagreements at the top, or being sidelined by other competitors (such as...)A giant company actively developing AI chipsIs Qualcomm poaching talent with huge sums of money? But what is certain is that Qualcomm's leadership in the mobile and computing division will face a period of restructuring.
This adds some uncertainty to Qualcomm, which is currently battling Intel, AMD, and even Apple in the AI PC arena. Whether the successor to this "second-in-command" position can maintain the strategic style of Alex Katouzian and continue leading Qualcomm to expand its reach in the AI-enabled device era will be the focus of industry attention going forward.
