Former Intel CEO and Chairman Andy Grove has died

Some sad news coming from Silicon Valley, Intel's former CEO and Chairman Andy Grove has passed away at 79. Grove is credited for helping build Intel to great heights as a semiconductor giant as well as a key figure in the consumer technology landscape. He served as Intel's leader from 1979 to 2005.

According to Intel, "Grove played a critical role in the decision to move Intel’s focus from memory chips to microprocessors and led the firm’s transformation into a widely recognized consumer brand. Under his leadership, Intel produced the chips, including the 386 and Pentium, that helped usher in the PC era. The company also increased annual revenues from $1.9 billion to more than $26 billion."

Grove was also a bestelling author and business strategist, his book Only the Paranoid Survive: How To Exploit the Crisis Points that Challenge Every Company is a must-read for managers and one of the best references for managing change within companies and industries. Grove served as an elder statesman of the shifting technology industry even after his retirement in 2005.  Read more about his life and achievements here.