Cisco has poached the CTO of Intel’s Network and Edge Group, as the embattled chipmaker looks to be retreating from the segment.

Pere Monclus joins the networking giant as its VP of Engineering, with an update to his LinkedIn page stating he’ll be “working on AI systems and SW [software] innovations.”

Monclus rejoins the firm he left back in 2011, having spent over a decade at Cisco as a distinguished engineer.

He later founded PLUMgrid, which provided tools for OpenStack cloud providers before being acquired by VMware in 2016.

After the acquisition, Monclus spent over eight years at VMware. He initially served as VP of Research and Development, and later as VP and CTO of its Network and Security Business Unit.

Monclus then joined Intel in March 2023, spending a little over two years at the embattled chip firm.

Networking know-how departs as Intel trims its edge

Monclus’s departure is the latest in a series of reshuffles at Intel as it continues to navigate stormy seas.

Networking looks to be one of the areas Intel is looking to sacrifice to steady the ship. Back in May, reports surfaced that the firm was mulling divestiture of its Network and Edge (NEX) Group to focus on rebuilding its struggling chip business.

The firm had already moved its Edge business into its Client Computing Group (CCG) last year, as well as realigning its NEX unit to focus on networking and telecoms.

Intel’s potential shift away from networking follows other divestments, exits, and cuts, which have seen the ousting of its marketing team, headcount reductions of between 15 and 20 percent, and the scrapping of its automotive business.

Since taking over from Pat Gelsinger earlier this year, CEO Lip-Bu Tan’s turnaround plan instead focuses on revitalizing the company’s foundry business, strengthening its R&D efforts, and building out an AI roadmap consisting of multiple SoCs.