Intel CEO Andrew 'Andy' Groves Passed Away

SANTA CLARA, CA- Technology mogul and former CEO of Intel Andrew 'Andy' Grove passed away today at the age of 79.

“We are deeply saddened by the passing of former Intel Chairman and CEO Andy Grove,” said Intel CEO Brian Krzanich in a press release Monday evening, “Andy made the impossible happen, time and again, and inspired generations of technologists, entrepreneurs, and business leaders.”

Grove is considered one of the world's most influential technology and business figures, involved in the founding of Intel in 1968, becoming the company's president in 1979, and serving as Chairman of the Board from 1997-2005. He is credited with making the decision to move Intel’s focus from memory chips to microprocessors, ultimately leading the firm’s transformation into a household brand and building Intel revenues to more than $26 billion.

“Andy approached corporate strategy and leadership in ways that continue to influence prominent thinkers and companies around the world,” said Intel Chairman Andy Bryant in the press release, “He combined the analytic approach of a scientist with an ability to engage others in honest and deep conversation, which sustained Intel’s success over a period that saw the rise of the personal computer, the Internet and Silicon Valley.”

An immigrant to the United States, Groves was born András Gróf in Budapest, Hungary, surviving a Nazi occupation and escaping the Soviet repression in 1956, Intel explained in the release.

Grove and his wife, Eva, were married for 58 years and had two daughters and eight grandchildren.

The tech industry offered condolences on Grove's passing:

For more about his life and influence on technology, read the full release here.

Photo courtesy of Intel Corporation