Tuesday, January 13th 2015
AMD Bleeds Three Top Execs
In its latest 8-K filing form, AMD mentions a vastly different top-brass, indicating that three of its top executives left the company, in what is the biggest corporate shakeups in the ailing company's history. These include John Bryne, GM of Computing and Graphics Business Group (the person overseeing the company's core CPU and GPU businesses); Colette LaForce, Chief Marketing Officer; and Raj Naik, Chief Strategy Officer.
The most notable departure is that of Bryne, who was promoted to his post from being Chief Sales Officer just 7 months ago. LaForce was hired to her post in 2012, she held the same position in Dell before joining AMD. Naik joined the company around the same time as LaForce. AMD announced these changes, stating: "These changes, including the additions of Forrest Norrod and James Clifford to our management team last quarter, collectively are part of implementing an optimal organization design and leadership team to further sharpen our execution and position AMD for growth."
Source:
Anandtech
The most notable departure is that of Bryne, who was promoted to his post from being Chief Sales Officer just 7 months ago. LaForce was hired to her post in 2012, she held the same position in Dell before joining AMD. Naik joined the company around the same time as LaForce. AMD announced these changes, stating: "These changes, including the additions of Forrest Norrod and James Clifford to our management team last quarter, collectively are part of implementing an optimal organization design and leadership team to further sharpen our execution and position AMD for growth."
35 Comments on AMD Bleeds Three Top Execs
I won't call it good riddance, as I don't have a clue about whatever he did behind the screens.
However, after seeing the man in the flesh in some of his videos I've had some strong doubts regarding the suitability of his role.
I think they're skipping on out before the fireworks begin much the same way Rory's abandoning ship. Looks like he and his team decided nothing can be done, so it's everyone for the lifeboats asap.
money.cnn.com/2014/01/17/technology/intel-jobs/
That grumpy old asshole in the corner who does his bids on paper and doesn't carry a cell phone? He has made the choice to pursue other career opportunities.
What it really means is he was given a cell phone, laptop and the instructions to use them or turn in his resignation for severance pay.
EDIT: I really believe AMD stands a much better chance as a more segmented company, revive their ability to be great at individual products instead of good at all, master of none.
Make money selling their IP and designs to other companies. I like this one most of all, start selling their IP and designs, use their engineering team and allow the extra income to get more and better minds working together for their benefit, and the benefit of the customers.
Or go back to making Intel clones that work with Intel chip-sets, spin off the graphics division, and let themselves become what they were that got them to the point they were at.
I frankly don't care who the execs are. They are just men in ties shuffling the money. I'm more interested in those who are actually the brains behind their products. Like the newly re-hired legendary Jim Keller. These are the people to admire and are probably paid less than they should be.
the are not going to get beter paycheck somewhere else just like that...,instead they could try making things beter....where can they go?? intel?? im not sure intel would wont ppl who didnt do shit for their previus company!!there are thousends of other ppl wiling to take their place....so its their loss...
As I noted in another thread, Byrne - apart from just being promoted, was the public face of the Carrizo launch as well as AMD's "go to" guy at CES as little as two days ago.Y'know Jorge, sooner or later, even you must face the facts that the never ending revolving door of bodies going through AMD and the ever worsening situation is down to the people at the top of the organization - the ones not leaving - the ones not being fired...the ones collecting their directorship compensation packages.
Oh, and BTW, John Byrne jumped ship - he wasn't let go by AMD.
AMD infringed of Intel's EPROM (Settled in the second source agreement for the 8085) and AMD attempted to reverse engineer a 286 (project cancelled), and AMD reverse engineered their 486 which cost them $58m in damages in their multi-suit legal wrangling settled in 1995 (specifically targeted, the in-circuit emulator of the processor).
Generally speaking, AMD's engineers deliver a first class product. What is third class is pushing out products with limited support from the software stack. Both the HD 7970 and 7990 released with piss poor driver support at the most important point of the products cycle - the launch- where it would be pitted against rivals. Even amongst rabid/avid AMD loyalists, it is almost taken for granted that AMD delivers a miracle/performance driver (i.e. one it should have launched with) ~ 6 months after the product launched. A point in time where gains from marketing and PR are minimal compared with the initial launch.
The Opteron 64 was a big hit
The AMD 5x86 in the early 90s was faster than a pentium and it was like 3 times cheaper.
AMD's K6? The original K6 project went tits up. AMD purchased NexGen and used their Nx686 as the basis for the K6
AMD Athlon (K7)? AMD licenced DEC's system bus and hired the DEC Alpha team (Dirk Meyer et al) to design the K7, along with DEC's Jim Keller who was instrumental in putting together HyperTransport
Athlon64 (K8) Also based on DEC's work (along with AMD's own design chief, Fred Weber of course) with David Cutler and Robert Short (both then working for Microsoft) instrumental in getting AMD64 up and running.
The difference back then was that there were a lot more processor IHV's in play - many failing ( Cyrix, NexGen, C&T, DEC), and IP and talent could be readily purchased if your own in-house projects met with failure. That isn't the case now with x86.
that is great an idiot can sell it!!