AMD Finally Fills CEO Post

August 25, 2011

After over six months of searching for a new CEO to replace former CEO Dirk Meyer, who resigned back in January and had been rumored to be forced out due to his lack of vision, AMD NASDAQ has finally chosen a new CEO. AMD has selected Rory Read, Lenovo’s President and Chief Operating Officer to lead the firm as its new CEO. AMD’s search for a new CEO has been painfully difficult. The semiconductor firm, which has managed somewhat of a resurgence while under the direction of former CEO, Dirk Meyer, and its current interim CEO, Thomas Seifert still has a difficult road to true recovery and long term survival. While AMD has been reasonably successful in the PC world as second banana to Intel, the company has very far to go with regard to processors for mobile phones and tablets the current growth generators. AMD has been through rough waters for sometime and many potential candidates have chosen not to be considered for the CEO position. Throughout the CEO search process a number of potential candidate names have been rumored under consideration including Tim Cook, Apple’s soon to be new CEO after Steve Jobs made his dramatic resignation, Mark Hurd, Oracle’s co-president and former HP CEO, Pat Gelsinger the Carlyle Group Chief Operating Officer and others have all supposedly turned down AMD.

Read’s selection to run AMD is a positive, the company has finally found someone to take on the challenge. While Read has an impressive background while at Lenovo as well as significant leadership work while working at IBM for twenty three years he has a monumental task ahead of him. AMD’s press release announcement contained a terrific spin on Read’s selection. we will just have to wait and see. At least company now has a new leader and get to work on addressing many of the firm’s future needs and strategic direction.