The Senior fellows are something of a breed apart at Intel. It's very similar to getting tenure at a university - basically as long as you're not caught embezzling or deciding to punch out the boss you're sorted for life.

It's an interesting system, and one that many in the industry have emulated. It also relates to Intel's corporate mindset. Let's not forget that until Otellini the company was always led by someone with a PhD, and some within the company were unsure about employing someone with nothing more than a first class MBA to their name.

The lucky new Senior Fellow is Bryant Bigbee. He's had an interesting life, originally qualifying as a doctor before changing his direction and joining Intel fifteen years ago. That took some guts, considering how much doctors get paid over here and the size of their student loans.