The Man Behind the Pentium Chip, Now Behind the Technion’s Future

Meet David (Dadi) Perlmutter, the newly appointed chairman of the Technion Council—the governing body that sets the course for Israel’s leading science and technology university. The Council is responsible for selecting the Technion’s president, guiding academic priorities, and steering the Institute’s long-term vision in research and innovation. It’s a role that calls for both strategic leadership and technological insight—strengths that define Perlmutter’s career.

If you’ve ever used a computer powered by Intel’s Pentium processors, you’ve experienced some of his legacy. A graduate of the Technion’s Andrew and Erna Viterbi Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Perlmutter spent 34 years at Intel Corporation, rising to executive vice president and chief product officer. He helped bring to life some of the company’s most iconic chips, including the Pentium, Pentium Pro, Pentium II, and Centrino, reshaping personal computing for billions of people worldwide.

But Perlmutter’s impact extends far beyond Silicon Valley. He has spent years championing Israel’s high-tech ecosystem, ensuring its growth is both innovative and inclusive. He has chaired startups, served on the boards of global tech companies, and today leads the Inter-Ministerial Committee for Increasing Human Capital in High-Tech, working to expand opportunities for underrepresented populations.

His deep commitment to education and equal opportunity has long tied him back to his alma mater. The Technion honored him with its first Alumni Medal in 2018 and conferred upon him an honorary doctorate in 2023, citing his “vast and diverse contributions to the development of Israel’s high-tech industry” and his efforts to promote diversity, inclusion, and integration across Israeli society.

For Perlmutter, becoming chairman of the Technion Council is both a personal milestone and a chance to give back: “The Technion is a symbol of excellence, innovation, and commitment to the public,” he said. “It is a great honor for me to head the Council of an institution that educates generations of engineers, researchers, and scientists—the foundation of Israel’s economy and national security. In my new role as chair of the Technion Council and as head of the Committee for Increasing Human Capital in High-Tech, I will work to strengthen the ties between academia, industry, and the state—to help ensure a better, more technological, and more equitable future for all citizens of Israel.”

Perlmutter succeeds Gideon Frank, who led the Council for the past decade with distinction. Frank, a Technion alumnus and former head of the Israel Atomic Energy Commission, guided the university through one of its most challenging eras. He reflected on the transition with optimism: “The Technion, in my eyes, is one of the bright spots of hope in the difficult period currently facing Israel and the sharp and rapid changes expected throughout the world. … I am very pleased that Dadi has taken on the role of chairman of the Technion Council, and I am confident that with his experience and unique capabilities, he will help the president of the Technion and its management lead the necessary changes for Israel’s development.”

Technion President Prof. Uri Sivan echoed that sentiment, praising Frank’s decade of steady leadership and welcoming Perlmutter’s appointment: “The Technion is fortunate to have brilliant alumni, some of whom—like Gideon and Dadi—choose to dedicate years of their lives, their experience, and their talent to their alma mater, which educated and shaped them for impactful, far-reaching careers. I have no doubt that Dadi will help lead us to new achievements in education, science, and technology.”

From microchips that transformed computing to policies that broaden Israel’s innovation economy, Dadi Perlmutter has already helped shape the future. Now, as head of theTechnion Council, he’s poised to shape the next generation of scientists, engineers, and innovators.