Ronn Torossian, CEO, 5WPR

Intel CEO Brian Krzanich resigned amid questions about a “former relationship." with an Intel employee. In a statement announcing the resignation, Intel said the relationship was “a violation of the company’s non-fraternization policy…." According to Intel spokesman Williman Moss, the policy had been in place for “many years,." though he did not confirm how many, or when Krzanich’s relationship met those perimeters. 

The quick but terse statement could have been an attempt by Intel to get out in front of a story before someone else ran with it. The company is still stinging from reports that, earlier this year, Google security researchers found “serious security flaws." that affected computer processors built by Intel, as well as other chipmakers. The last thing the company needs right now is more negative headlines, especially stories that will include some mention of the security flaw scandal. At present, Intel is still working to “patch." the issue, and they certainly don’t want to have to say that multiple times to curious reporters, nor do they want the idea that there’s still a “flaw." out there coloring consumers’ view of Intel. 

For his part, Krzanich definitely would have preferred a different story follow him when he was finished at Intel. He started with the company as an engineer back in 1982 and made his way up through the divisions all the way to CEO, a position he took in 2013, while the world of computing was undergoing a quantum shift in application and consumer taste. Krzanich wanted to be ahead of the curve on all of that, strongly pushing tech that made possible advancements such as high-speed memory chips, smart TVs, AI and even self-driving cars. 

Those successes could have been Krzanich’s legacy, and it may still be, if he is able to gain control of the “relationship." narrative and sufficiently explain the situation. He does have a strong point to make in that regard. During his tenure at Intel, the CEO developed a reputation as a “champion of workplace diversity,." a fact that was emphasized by the Associated Press in the article about his resignation. While it may not do Krzanich much good – and could have a detrimental effect – if he touts this record himself, encouraging surrogates to push this aspect of his reputation could help him move past any asterisks related to the nature of his resignation. 

It’s too soon to tell, at this point, how that narrative will go. At present, some media are trying to tie Krzanich to #MeToo, while most are touting his successes as both a “up from the rank and file." guy, an innovator, and a champion of diversity in an industry not known for such. 

About the Author: Ronn Torossian is CEO of 5WPR, a leading Public Relations firm.