Intel’s Kevin O’Buckley joins Qualcomm
O’Buckley has led IFS since 2024, having previously held senior leadership roles at IBM, GlobalFoundries and Marvell.
Kevin O’Buckley, currently senior vice-president and general manager of Intel Foundry Services (IFS), is set to join Qualcomm as executive vice-president of global operations and supply chain on 2 March.
At Qualcomm, O’Buckley will oversee global semiconductor operations, including manufacturing engineering, foundry and supplier partnerships, supply chain strategy and procurement. He will report directly to Akash Palkhiwala, the company’s executive vice-president, chief financial officer and chief operating officer.
O’Buckley has led IFS since 2024, having previously held senior leadership roles at IBM, GlobalFoundries and Marvell. Intel formally entered the foundry market in 2010, and IFS has since become central to its strategy to compete with established contract manufacturers. The business has received substantial backing from the US government through CHIPS Act funding, which includes a significant stake in IFS. However, the division recorded an operating loss of $2.5 billion in the fourth quarter of 2025.
Despite financial pressures, IFS has secured notable wins, including foundry work from Apple, while reports suggest Nvidia is considering the unit for its 2028 Feynman GPU programme.
Production of Intel’s 18A / Panther Lake technology is underway at Fab 52 in Phoenix, Arizona. The state is also home to the largest TSMC foundry site in the US, which received $6.6 billion in CHIPS Act support.
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