Asma Aziz was recently appointed General Manager for Intel Canada. With a career at the company that spans two decades across five countries, Asma knows the business in and out and has a unique understanding of different markets.
As we head into trying economic and political times, Intel is facing stiff competition and rapid-moving innovation. We sat down with Asma to talk about her personal career journey, hot button topics like diversity and AI, her vision for Intel, and her thoughts on the industry and its direction overall. Here’s our interview. [Note: replies have been condensed].
Asma, thank you for taking the time to speak with us today. Let’s start by hearing about your history in the industry.
Over the past 20 years with Intel, I have worked in five different countries, gaining exposure in diverse markets and cultures. I began with Intel in a business program role, taking on increased responsibilities for three major markets. After six years, I embraced a new challenge in the Asia Pacific region, a truly dynamic and fast-paced market. In Portland, OR, I had the chance to lead global consumer-tech campaigns. In 2019, I moved to Toronto where I led marketing efforts across the Americas and served as interim regional chief marketing officer for the Americas. Each of my unique global experiences prepared me well for the challenges and opportunities presented by the Canadian market, which blends a multicultural workforce with a high value on research, innovation, inclusivity, and sustainability.
Q: What are your primary goals in this new position as General Manager for Intel Canada?
My primary goal is to lead the organization’s business growth and implement a cohesive, cross-organizational strategy to elevate Intel’s presence in the Canadian market. Looking ahead to the next five years, I’m passionate about driving innovation and building a diverse and inclusive team, hoping to make a meaningful impact in the tech industry.
Q: Having worked in positions around the world, how does the Canadian market differ?
Canada has a strong and diversified economy, underpinned by a highly educated workforce and pioneering AI research institutions, like the Vector Institute and Mila, make it a true leader in AI innovation. What really stands out to me is the spirit of collaboration here. Academic institutions, the government, and private sector entities are all working hand in hand to push the boundaries of AI and bring its practical applications to life.
Intel actively supports Canada’s leadership in AI by partnering with over 15 Canadian academic institutions. Our strategic collaboration with Mila is particularly exciting, as we’re working together on projects that tackle climate change, discover new materials, and advance digital biology.
Recently, we joined the Government of Canada’s voluntary code of conduct for responsible AI, led by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED), committing to apply ethical standards in developing and managing generative AI system – perfectly aligning with Intel’s existing AI strategy that emphasizes trust, transparency, and governance.
Q: As a woman in this field, what have you learned from your journey so far? How have things changed over the years?
My journey has been anything but linear, marked by both rewarding and challenging experiences that have taught me the invaluable lesson of resilience. This resilience has been crucial in navigating the fast-paced and demanding nature of the tech industry.
Building a strong network of mentors has provided me with support, guidance, and opportunities. These relationships have been instrumental in helping me grow both personally and professionally.
Throughout my career, I’ve witnessed significant progress toward gender equality. More women are taking on leadership roles now than when I started, and there’s also greater awareness about unconscious bias, which helps create more equitable environments for everyone involved. I’ve seen firsthand how diverse teams drive innovation and creativity, and promoting diversity not only creates more inclusive workplaces but also leads to better business outcomes.
Q: Speaking of diversity, that’s a hot-button topic nowadays. The best person for a job should always get the job, of course. But do you find that this typically takes diversity into account?
It’s important to recognize that diversity and merit are not mutually exclusive. Rather, they can complement each other in meaningful ways.
Traditionally, hiring decisions have often been based on specific criteria or experiences that may inadvertently favour certain groups over others. By broadening our understanding of what makes someone the best candidate, like considering diverse perspectives, problem-solving approaches, and life experiences, we can create more inclusive hiring practices.
Beyond just hiring practices, fostering an inclusive culture where all employees feel valued encourages the retention of top talent across different demographics while enhancing overall organizational performance.
In my experience, taking diversity into account doesn’t mean compromising on quality; it means recognizing excellence in its many forms while striving towards equity within our workplaces. By embracing diversity, we can build stronger, more innovative, and more inclusive organizations, and that’s something we strongly believe in at Intel.
Q: With the use of AI tools in hiring, which have been shown to possess inherent biases, how does Intel address that and ensure that the organization is reflective of all types of individuals from all cultures? Does Intel, for example, have specific initiatives or policies in place to ensure diversity and equality?
Intel is committed to addressing the inherent biases in AI tools and ensuring that our organization reflects the diversity of the world we serve. This commitment begins with having more women and diverse individuals in leadership positions. We aim to create an inclusive environment that drives innovation and ethical advancements in AI.
It’s [also] about empowering the next generation of women in STEM. We need to provide the right mentorship, education, and career pathways so that AI doesn’t become another barrier, but rather a catalyst for greater diversity and inclusion in tech. AI is only as powerful as the minds shaping it, and we need those minds to reflect the richness of the world we live in.
Our 2030 goals are ambitious yet achievable: by that time, we aim to achieve 25 percent representation of women in senior leadership roles globally and an over 40 percent representation of women in technical positions. To support these goals, Intel has implemented programs such as Women at Intel (WIN) and Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), which serve as valuable networks, providing access to mentors, volunteer activities, and a supportive community that fosters growth and empowerment.
Q: Now, let’s get into the nitty-gritty of computing. On a high-level, what are your thoughts on the future of computing?
Intel is setting new standards in the industry with our AI PC product innovations, which, combined with our extensive hardware and software ecosystem, are empowering users…across various industry sectors. Moreover, our innovations are unlocking new capabilities, boasting over 400 AI features that are designed to elevate user experiences. I truly believe the future of computing is bright and full of potential, and Intel is committed to leading the charge.
Q: AI is, of course, the big story today in computing. How do you believe AI technology can best assist consumers and businesses with everyday tasks? Does the value in using AI outweigh the potential risks?
For consumers, AI can look like personalized recommendations and smart home devices to advanced health monitoring and virtual assistants, making technology more intuitive and responsive to individual needs. These advancements not only improve convenience and productivity but also enable more meaningful and personalized interactions with technology.
For businesses, AI can streamline operations, enhance decision-making, and drive innovation. AI-powered analytics can provide deeper insights into customer behaviour, optimize supply chains, and improve product development. Additionally, AI can enhance cybersecurity measures, ensuring that businesses can protect their data and operations more effectively.
While the value of AI is clear, it’s also important to acknowledge and address the potential risks. It is critical that we continuously strive to responsibly develop AI technologies so that our efforts do not marginalize people, misuse data, or discriminate against different populations.
Q: I assume Intel offices have embraced AI. How do you and the staff here specifically find that it assists in the workplace?
Intel is embracing AI to drive innovation, improve operational efficiency, enhance security, and support our workforce, ultimately contributing to its competitive edge in the technology industry.
Other areas where we leverage AI is in product development and innovation, manufacturing and quality control, data analytics and decision-making, and cybersecurity. These are critical domains where AI significantly enhances planning, efficiency, and ultimately performance.
Q: Ok, it’s time to talk about the elephant in the room, so to speak. NVIDIA had the most talked about announcement at CES. Apple has switched to its own chips. Intel is facing competition arguably like never before, along with the latest reported losses and restructuring. Can you talk to next steps for the company and how Intel plans to address these challenges?
Intel remains the global market leader in its field, but the encroaching competition, coupled with the slowdown in PC growth and overall economic uncertainty, poses challenges for us, much like many others in the tech industry. I can confidently say that we are committed to addressing these challenges head-on.
Lip Bu Tan [new CEO of Intel] Tan is passionate about reestablishing Intel as a world-class products company and building a world-class foundry. He brings fresh perspectives and innovative ideas that will help us capitalize on exciting opportunities across our product and foundry businesses. We’re confident that under his leadership, Intel will continue to improve performance and navigate the challenges ahead successfully.
Q: So, breaking it down, what would you deem to be Intel’s biggest challenges going forward and why you believe they’re surmountable.
We are streamlining our operations to achieve execution excellence and smart expenditure, which will enhance our ability to serve our customers effectively. Additionally, our advanced process technology and manufacturing capabilities uniquely position us to fulfill the growing demand for semiconductors.
Intel has a rich history of navigating industry shifts and emerging stronger, thanks to our talented teams, strong product roadmap and robust infrastructure, after all, “only the paranoids survive,” as said by one of our founders.
Q: I love that quote! So, what can we look forward to from Intel to keep the company strong, and getting stronger? What are the biggest areas of growth and focus for 2025 and going forward?
Intel showcased new and advanced products at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) and Mobile World Congress (MWC), with capabilities to address a wide range of demanding needs of consumers and professionals. Intel also unveiled its most powerful lineup of commercial AI PCs to date.
To meet the growing demand for comprehensive solutions in an AI-driven world, Intel has introduced new members of its Intel Xeon 6 processor family. This lineup represents the company’s most comprehensive range of central processing units, capable of competing across a variety of applications and delivering up to two times higher performance in AI processing.
More exciting announcements will be unveiled at Intel Vision 2025 in early April, where we’ll explore how enterprise-ready AI, cloud, and Edge solutions are driving efficiency, cost optimization, and security today – while looking ahead to AI as a service, hybrid cloud, and next-gen architectures shaping enterprise strategy. Stay tuned for more!
Q:It sounds like Intel has a lot in store for this year and beyond. What are you most confident about when it comes to the future of Intel?
I’m most confident about Intel’s commitment to innovation and leadership in semiconductor technology. The company is making bold moves to regain process leadership with its five-nodes-in-four-years (5N4Y) strategy, which is already showing results. For later this year, we have our dearly expected 18A, which will be a game changer for the semiconductor industry.
Additionally, we have a strong ecosystem of partners, investment in manufacturing capacity, strategic vision for AI-driven computing, and talented employees.
Intel will continue to strengthen its AI product portfolio in 2025 and beyond, showcasing the possibilities for diverse audiences including business professionals, students, researchers, healthcare providers, gamers, and everyone in between.
Thank you for taking the time to talk with us today, Asma!
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