Intel chief executive to visit Leixlip plant

Gelsinger trip not expected to signal wider announcement with company saying chipmaker’s boss is a regular visitor to Ireland

Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger is visiting the company's Irish plant in Leixlip as part of a trip to Europe for Mobile World Congress. Photograph: Michael Santiago/Getty Images
Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger is visiting the company's Irish plant in Leixlip as part of a trip to Europe for Mobile World Congress. Photograph: Michael Santiago/Getty Images

Intel chief executive Pat Gelsinger is to visit the company’s Irish operations this week to take part in meetings with staff. The visit coincides with Mr Gelsinger’s attendance at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, which is taking place this week.

The Intel boss is expected to take part in a number of employee forums, rather than as part of a wider announcement for the Irish operations.

A spokeswoman for Intel said the trip was a regular event for Mr Gelsinger, who last visited the Leixlip plant in November. The company employs about 5,000 people in Ireland, with the majority of them located in Co Kildare.

Intel announced late last year that it would cut thousands of jobs from its global workforce, with a total of 130 shed from its Irish operations. The company also froze bonuses and cut pay for some staff in addition to other cost mitigation measures.

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Last week the chip giant announced it would cut its dividend payment to the lowest in 16 years in an effort to preserve cash and focus on a turnaround plan. It is set to restore the pay cuts later this year.

The move came after Intel’s January forecast, which predicted one of the worst quarters in the chipmaker’s history as a slowdown in personal-computer sales hit the semiconductor industry.

Ciara O'Brien

Ciara O'Brien

Ciara O'Brien is an Irish Times business and technology journalist