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Albert Yu, who led Intel Corp.s development of microprocessors from the 386 through the Pentium 4, is retiring Sept. 5 after nearly 30 years with the chipmaker.
Yu, 61, who currently serves as strategic programs director, is most widely known within the industry for his 16-year role as general manager of the Intel Architecture Group, a position he held until late 2000.
During his tenure at the helm of Intels processor business, the Santa Clara, Calif., company experienced dramatic growth mirroring the PC boom of the 90s, as the chipmakers products were featured in the vast majority of systems sold worldwide.
“Albert Yu is well known and highly respected both within Intel and throughout the semiconductor industry,” Intel CEO Craig Barrett said in a statement. “Albert has been a key contributor to Intels success over the years and we wish him well in retirement.”
Yu joined Intel in 1972, only one year after the company introduced its first microprocessor, the 4004, a 4-bit chip featuring 2,300 transistors. In the following years, Yu oversaw dramatic technological advancements that enabled the creation of ever smaller and faster processors. His tenure overseeing the processor unit culminated with the release of a 1.5GHz Pentium 4 with 42 million transistors in November 2000.
Since that time, Yu has been involved in Intels international expansion efforts and has been responsible for driving the companys development in the optoelectronics area.
He also serves on the board of directors of Oak Technology Inc., a developer of semiconductors used in optical storage and digital imaging, and the Tech Museum of San Jose, Calif.
During his career, he published two books, “An Insiders View of Intel” in 1995 and “Creating the Digital Future” in 1998, a book that included a comment from Intel Chairman Andrew Grove hailing Yus contribution to the company.
“No one is more qualified to tell how Intel shaped microprocessors—and how microprocessors shaped Intel—than Albert Yu,” Grove said.
Prior to joining Intel, Yu managed semiconductor device research and development activities for Fairchild Research and Development Lab, based in Palo Alto, Calif.
Yu received his doctorate and masters degrees from Stanford University and his bachelors degree from California Institute of Technology, all in electrical engineering.