The former CEO and president of Intel Dr Craig Barrett, who presided over Intel’s original decision to locate major manufacturing operations in Ireland and resulting in some €7bn worth of investment, was this week presented with a Certificate of Irish Heritage at the ITLG Global Technology Leaders Summit.
The ITLG’s annual Silicon Valley shindig was held this week at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California.
The certificate represents official recognition from the Irish Government of Barrett’s Irish heritage and the contribution he has made to Ireland during his time as Intel CEO.
Barrett joins a host of prominent recipients of the certificate, including US President Barack Obama, former US president Bill Clinton, actor Daniel Day-Lewis and more recently actor Tom Cruise.
Gerry Staunton, Consul General of Ireland, presented Barrett with the certificate and recounted the role Barrett played at Intel.
Barrett, as CEO, led the diversification and expansion of Intel’s manufacturing capacity, which enabled the company to respond to the boom in demand for high-technology products and helped it retain its dominant position in the manufacturing of microprocessors.
Intel has invested more than €7bn in Ireland and in the process has transformed its facility in Leixlip, Co Kildare, into one of the most technologically advanced manufacturing plants in Europe. More than 4,500 people work at the Leixlip campus and in addition, there are more than 200 people employed at Intel Communications Europe in Shannon, Co Clare.