The world's second-largest semiconductor maker is seeking a new leader at a time when there are at least three female candidates whose resumes would likely put them on the list, regardless of their gender. Former Intel executives Renee James and Diane Bryant and Advanced Micro Devices Inc. CEO Lisa Su are the three most successful women in the history of the 50-year-old chip industry. "On their own merits, those three people are amazing candidates," said Deborah Conrad, former chief marketing officer at Intel who worked with James and Bryant during her 27-year career there. "They actually stand out." Krzanich, who often spoke publicly about the need to hire more women and underrepresented groups, also put Intel's money where his mouth was. He created a $300 million diversity fund and began tying executive pay to greater progress in this area. But one of the ironies of Krzanich's tenure was that the company's two most senior female executives, James and Bryant, left during his time at the helm.