Intel added semiconductor heavy hitters Eric Meurice and Steve Sanghi to its board of directors following the abrupt departure of former CEO Pat Gelsinger earlier in the week.

Meurice served as president and CEO of ASML from 2004 to 2013 while Sanghi is chair of Microchip Technology’s board. Sanghi is currently interim CEO and president at Microchip Technology after a previous stint as CEO from 1991 to 2021.

Frank Yeary, who is interim executive chair following Gelsinger’s departure, stated Meurice and Sanghi “will bring valuable perspectives to the board as the company delivers on its priorities for customers in Intel Products and Intel Foundry, while driving greater efficiency and improving profitability”.

Reuters reported Yeary, the independent chair of the board of Intel, was among those unhappy with Gelsinger’s plan to revive the company, which led to the board of directors giving him the option of retiring or being removed during a meeting last week.

The move to bring on Meurice and Sanghi as independent directors could signal Intel is exploring various options going forward.

Radio Free Mobile founder Richard Windsor wrote the ousting of Gelsinger “means that Intel will almost certainly be split up and could be absorbed into other companies meaning that the once all-powerful Intel brand may soon be just a memory”.

“This is also a gift for Qualcomm, Nvidia, AMD and MediaTek to come and take its business while Intel is tying itself in knots with its internal issues.”

Windsor stated Gelsinger’s attempt to return Intel to the front line of semiconductor manufacturing with foundry and design remaining under a single roof is “now out of favour with the board”.

“This means that Gelsinger’s successor will most likely press ahead with a plan that breaks Intel up into separate pieces which I think spells the end of Intel as we know it,” he wrote.