The Consumer Technology Association (CTA) mourns the loss of former Intel CEO, Paul Otellini, who passed away Tuesday at the age of 66. Otellini was a four-time CES keynoter and self-proclaimed Intel “lifer,” dedicating four decades to the organization. He was the fifth executive to hold the title of president and CEO, following in the footsteps of Gordon Moore, Robert Noyce, Andrew Grove and Craig Barrett and was succeeded in 2013 by Brian Krzanich.
 
“Paul was an incredible leader and visionary who will be dearly missed,” said Gary Shapiro, president and CEO, CTA. “He was so well respected across the industry, recognized for his humility and passion for innovation. Paul’s dedication, leadership and vision helped make Intel what it is today – the world’s largest chipmaker and the foundation for affordable wireless communication and smart devices that comprise today’s Internet of Things.”
 
Otellini was named CEO of Intel in May 2005, and he stayed in that post until he retired in 2013. The son of a butcher, Otellini, grew up in a working-class Italian-American family in San Francisco. He received a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of San Francisco and in 1974 earned his MBA at the University of California, Berkeley. Otellini then joined Intel as an analyst where he would work for the next 40 years. Notably, he was the first non-engineer to run the company, where he created teams of engineers, software developers, marketers and market specialists that worked together to develop innovative products.
 
Since he retired in 2013, Otellini served as a mentor and was involved with several philanthropic and charitable organizations, including the San Francisco Symphony and San Francisco General Hospital Foundation.