Taking over from Jason Kimrey, Michael Green will lead Intel’s relationships with U.S. distributors and national solution providers as the chipmaker seeks to keep its dominance in the PC and server markets on top of trying to challenge Nvidia in the AI computing space.

Intel has named 25-year company veteran Michael Green as its U.S. channel chief after moving his predecessor to an expanded role leading North American partner and commercial sales.

Green became Intel’s general manager of U.S. partner sales and programs last month, when Jason Kimrey, who held the role since 2018, was promoted to vice president of the chipmaker’s newly created North America commercial and partner sales organization.

[Related: New Intel Global Channel Chief Seeks To ‘Keep Evolving’ Partner Program Amid Software, AI PC Push]

“We will continue to strengthen our engagements across all Intel partners and aggressively drive opportunities for both Intel and our customers,” Green said in a statement.

“In addition, we will strive to further enhance our already ‘best-in-class’ programs offered to our partners. I look forward to engaging with the new team and our customers soon,” he added.

Kimrey previously told CRN that he viewed the U.S. channel chief as a critical role, which involves leading the company’s distribution, national solution provider and integrator, and program and market enablement teams for the country.

“I want to make sure that [for] the immediate needs of the channel and our partners, that we have clear ownership and focus there,” he said in February.

The role puts Green in Kimrey’s North America commercial and partner sales organization, which merged the U.S. channel scale and partners team Kimrey previously led with teams managing relationships with large U.S. enterprise customers, U.S. communications service providers as well as Canadian customers and partners.

“Mike has an ideal mix of experience to take over the North America partner sales organization. He has dedicated his career to Intel, is a passionate advocate for his customers and knows how to create programs and initiatives that create value for our partners,” Kimrey said in recent statement to CRN. “I’m excited to have his leadership on the new North American Commercial and Partner Sales organization, and excited to work with him to connect our partner sales programs with all of our commercial customers.”

Green joined Intel in 1999 and spent the past 15 years working within the company’s U.S. retail sales group, for which he served as director in the final five years of that period.

As director of the U.S. retail sales group, he was “responsible for all aspects of sales and marketing for Intel-based PCs and other technology-leading products, while he led engagements across a broad and open ecosystem,” according to Intel.

“Mike oversaw more than $2 billion in revenue and helped strengthen Intel’s retail leadership. He also ensured that Intel remained at the forefront of cutting-edge programs to drive sales,” the company added in a statement to CRN.

An executive at a major U.S. distributor told CRN that he’s glad Intel decided to keep the regional channel chief role and said his team has already had a couple of productive meetings with Green, who he expects to bring a fresh perspective with his decades of retail experience.

“He knows the retail side of the market, and he has a good understanding of distributions role and of the channel. If there are issues that can be addressed or things that can be done to enhance programs, things that they’ve seen work on different sides of the business, that they can apply in other places, I think those are those are great values,” said Kent Tibbils, vice president of marketing at Fremont, Calif.-based ASI.

Green’s appointment is the third major personnel change at Intel for U.S. partners after Kimrey took on the new North America role last month and Trevor Vickers took over as global channel chief from John Kalvin in January.

The changes in channel leadership are happening at a critical time for the chipmaker: It’s in the middle of executing on Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger’s ambitious, four-year comeback plan to leapfrog Asian foundry rivals in manufacturing capabilities. At the same time, Intel is fighting to keep its dominance in the PC and server markets on top of trying to challenge Nvidia in the AI computing space alongside other competitors.