His promotion came after more than 30 remarkably successful years spent entirely at Intel. “I stayed because I never ceased to learn or to have a new opportunity to grow,” he says. “We went from startup to the largest semiconductor manufacturer in the world while I was working here. It’s pretty hard to beat that in any other place.”

When asked to reflect on the attributes of a successful corporate leader, he underscores a few: “I think one must possess relevant competence in one’s industry and firm. And the ability to manage well is a prerequisite for leadership.” He adds, “At least in a high-tech company, one needs to be close to one’s products and customers.”

“Most of all, one must listen to customers, to employees, to markets,” he continues. “The biggest sin is to stay heads down when the world is changing.”