Lip-Bu Tan may be one of the most powerful technology executives you've never heard of. As he steps into one of the highest-profile jobs on the planet, CEO of troubled, storied chipmaker Intel, his performance will be on full display.

Shares of Intel Corp. jumped 15% after the company named Lip-Bu Tan as its next chief executive officer, entrusting a former board member and semiconductor veteran with one of the toughest jobs in the chip industry.

In his letter to Intel employees, new chief executive officer Lip-Bu Tan, who starts his new job next Tuesday, tells them that he is “never deterred by