Intel Exec Maloney to Take Medical Leave

Sean Maloney, an Intel executive vice president and general manager of the Intel Architecture Group, is taking a leave of absence from the company.

Maloney suffered a stroke at his home, Intel officials said in a statement March 1.

Intel expects that Maloney will be recuperating for several months, after which time he will resume his work at the company. His prognosis for a full recovery is excellent, according to the statement.

In the interim, Dadi Perlmutter, also an executive vice president and general manager of the Intel Architecture Group, will take over Maloney’s duties.

Intel President and CEO Paul Otellini said he visited Maloney and “his sense of humor and determination to return to work filled the room. We wish him a speedy recovery and look forward to his return.”

Maloney, who has been with Intel since 1982, assumed his latest position with Intel in September 2009, when Intel restructured its business units, assembling all of the major product divisions-including the server and client chip businesses-into the newly formed Intel Architecture Group.

Maloney and Perlmutter were tapped to co-manage the unit, with Maloney being responsible for business and operations and Perlmutter focusing on product development and architecture.

At the same time, Pat Gelsinger, a 30-year Intel veteran who rose up to the level of senior vice president and general manager of the company’s Digital Enterprise Group, left the chip maker to become president and chief operating officer of storage giant EMC’s Information Infrastructure Products unit.

Industry observers said Gelsinger’s departure opened up opportunities for several Intel executives, particularly Maloney, whom many saw as a possible successor to Otellini.

Maloney had been an executive vice president and chief sales and marketing officer at Intel before the reorganization.