Intel’s decision to dump its CEO, Bob Swan, in favor of a former longtime executive and most recently VMware chief Pat Gelsinger may well prove the right move to deal with the immense challenges facing the iconic chipmaker. But Intel’s board needs to answer for its decision two years ago to put Swan into the job.

Swan was named CEO in 2019 after what the board described as a “comprehensive evaluation of a wide range of internal and external candidates to identify the right leader at this critical juncture in Intel’s evolution. We considered many outstanding executives and we concluded the best choice is Bob.” Yet, Gelsinger was a possibility then, as The Information said at the time. Today, Intel said its board had “concluded that now is the right time to make this leadership change to draw on Pat’s technology and engineering expertise.”