Big Shake-Up At AMD

May 14, 2008 | by Christopher Nickson

As AMD focuses more on engineering, two top executives quit, following the resignation of the chief technical officer in February.

For some time the perception has been that AMD has been lagging behind rival Intel in innovation. There have been problems, most recently one with the quad-core server processor that led to the resignation of chief technical officer Phil Hester in February.

Now, after some soul-searching, there are big changes happening in the company. Two top executives, the chief talent officer and the executive vice president of the Computing Solutions Group have both left to “pursue other opportunities,” as a statement called it.

In the restructuring, AMD will have a central engineering department. AMD president and CEO, Dick Martin, explained,

"Placing experienced leaders in new, more focused, roles will enhance our execution and progress towards sustained profitability and long-term success. The creation of a central engineering organization aligns and focuses AMD's world-class engineers and intellectual property portfolio on the strong business opportunities in front of us."

One of the focuses of the new unit will be seeing that new chips reach the market more quickly.

Post Your Comment...Comments

Jason Howard on May 14th, 2008 at 10:42 AM:

Seems to me that AMD is starting to have some serious business issues... Let's hope they can survive. Competition is always good for us consumers.

Franz F. on May 14th, 2008 at 10:58 AM:

Im not surprised, if anyone else saw their booth at CES, you would understand that they A. Didn't care to be there, B. We completed unorganized C. Had nothing to offer anyone visiting them.
High turnover yields to bigger problems under the surface. I do hope that their new plan works and they improve.

Joseph on May 14th, 2008 at 11:45 AM:

I would like to see the government step in personally and kick Intel's butt for poor business practices. Bribing computer makers to use their chips, offering extra "special" incentives etc.

Jason Howard on May 14th, 2008 at 11:48 AM:

@Joseph: Almost sounds like another large tech company and OEMs...

Joseph Edward on May 17th, 2008 at 2:55 AM:

@Joseph "What do you mean by bribing computer makers to use their chips"

Do you think the US Government should get involved because the automakers are "offering incentives" to consumers to "buy" their product?

What about the last time you changed your cell phone? Should the Feds be involved because your cell provider didn't charge you "full" price and made you take a contract instead?

This article is about AMD and how perception of poor management and business execution lead to changes in leadership their.

Maybe there is an "economics for dummies" or "decision making for dummies" book that could increase understanding of this subject matter.

Bill Pringte on May 17th, 2008 at 1:15 PM:

@Joseph Edwards:

About your comment with cell phones, hell yes! Everywhere else except the US has much better market for cell phones and plans. They are not tied together. You are not tied into a contract.

I would much rather buy a cell phone at full price then be tied into a contract for 2 years. That means I have choice. I can buy an iPhone and use it on ANY network, not just AT&T.

Wouldn't you want that? You are also stuck with whatever phones the providers allow you to buy. Wouldn't you like to buy the latest and greatest nokia and be able to actually use it on any network?

You can't do that in the US. The providers prefer to keep their customers locked into them using various methods: locked cell phones, limited choice, and different technology for the cellular network.

That sucks, and we the consumers end up losing. I'd welcome the government to come in and force them to allow us to have freedom of choice.

steve on May 19th, 2008 at 6:45 AM:

You can buy unlocked cell phones in the US. You just need to pay full price. Check out buy.com and get the latest and greates Nokias and then pick your GSM network.

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