AMD CEO Resigns

AMD announced that its Board of Directors has appointed Senior Vice President and CFO Thomas Seifert, 47, as interim CEO following the resignation of Dirk Meyer, 49, as president, CEO, and a director of the company effective immediately in a mutual agreement with the board of directors.
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A CEO Search Committee has been formed to begin the search for a new CEO. The Committee is led by Bruce Claflin, Chairman of AMD's Board of Directors, who has been named Executive Chairman of the Board as he assumes additional oversight responsibilities during the transition period. Seifert will maintain his current responsibilities as CFO and has asked not to be considered for the permanent CEO position.

"Dirk became CEO during difficult times. He successfully stabilized AMD while simultaneously concluding strategic initiatives including the launch of GLOBALFOUNDRIES, the successful settlement of our litigation with Intel and delivering Fusion APUs to the market," said Claflin.

"However, the Board believes we have the opportunity to create increased shareholder value over time. This will require the company to have significant growth, establish market leadership and generate superior financial returns. We believe a change in leadership at this time will accelerate the company's ability to accomplish these objectives."

Seifert joined AMD in 2009, and has more than 20 years of general management, global operations and financial management expertise. Immediately prior to joining AMD, Seifert served as COO and CFO of Qimonda AG, where he led the formation and subsequent IPO of the company. At Infineon AG, Seifert served as senior vice president and general manager in its Wireless Business Group.

In commenting on Seifert, Claflin said, "During his tenure at AMD, Thomas helped strengthen the company's balance sheet while demonstrating strong leadership and winning the respect of his peers. His operations and finance experience make him an excellent choice to guide the company as interim CEO."

"AMD enters 2011 with considerable product and financial momentum. Our roadmap for the year, including our 'Llano' APU and 32nm 'Bulldozer' based processors remain on track," said Seifert. "I believe we have significant opportunities to cement our leadership positions in several key market segments based on the strength of our upcoming products."

Commentary By Jeffrey Rowe, Editor

Well, 2011 has started off with a bang (at least in the executive ranks) at a couple of companies integral to the MCAD industry. Both announcements caught a lot of people off guard and wondering a bit about the future of the companies and possible implications for the MCAD industry.

On January 6, DS SolidWorks announced that CEO, Jeff Ray, was moving on to a newly created position within Dassault Systemes - Executive Vice President, Geographic Operations. He was replaced with a new CEO, Bertrand Sicot, who has been with Dassault since 1997. Much has been made of these moves, and I'm holding off judgment until I talk with some DS SolidWorks folks next week at SolidWorks World. (See “The Week's Top 5” below).

On January 10, AMD announced that Dirk Meyer had resigned as president, CEO, and a director of the company effective immediately. The seemingly sudden departure of AMD CEO Dirk Meyer was supposedly the result of concerns among some board members that he wasn't doing enough to get the company into the mobile market. The departure, however, came as a complete surprise to some AMD employees that I know and talked with immediately following the announcement.

AMD (Advanced Micro Devices), founded in 1969, is the second-largest global supplier of microprocessors (CPUs) based on the x86 architecture and also one of the largest supplier of graphics processing units (GPUs), especially with the acquisition of ATI Technologies in 2006. Last year AMD announced that it would retire the "ATI" name and instead brand its graphics chipsets as "AMD" beginning in late 2010. The company began as a producer of logic chips, then entered the RAM chip business in 1975. That same year, it introduced a reverse-engineered clone of the Intel 8080 microprocessor.

As late as October 2010, Meyer was quoted as saying that even though tablets were cutting demand for laptops, AMD would hold off on investing to develop microprocessors for that market until it grew more to a level that made sense to him. Before making this statement, AMD board members watched in dismay as AMD's chief rival, Intel, was making mobile chips in a big way and dominated that market. However, Meyer was far from being the only CEO who failed to see the advent of a booming mobile market coming. He shares company with this lack of mobile foresight with Microsoft's Steve Ballmer.

AMD's Meyer was a well-liked and personable engineer who rose through the ranks to eventually lead the company that is perennially in Intel's shadow. Meyer started his career at AMD leading the team that developed the company's popular Athlon processor. Prior to that he had a career at Digital Equipment Corp. where he was co-architect of the Alpha chip.

Generally speaking, based on their backgrounds and personalities, chip designers who become executives rarely possess the qualities required to be an effective CEO, and this may have contributed to Meyer's downfall and demise.

“He was not Mr. Personality,” said Jon Peddie, president of Jon Peddie Research. “He is a hell of a good guy but he is not like, some of the more robust guys who put themselves out in front of the crowd. He lacks that star power.”

AMD's only CEO with true star power was its co-founder Jerry Sanders, who was the company's “super” salesman, but who was also famous for his lifestyle and expensive tastes. However, at 74, he is unlikely to want to return to an industry that barely resembles what he left in 2002.

AMD says has begun the monumental task of searching for a new CEO who can meet the following requirements: inspirational, charismatic, vision, and an understanding of technology and its implications for both product development and marketing. Face it, though, the semiconductor industry is an engineering-driven business, and finding leaders who meet all of these criteria is a tall order to say the least.

So who are AMD's executive recruiters likely to approach first? Industry analysts and pundits have been debating several executives from the semiconductor, and business systems, PC, telecommunications industries, or an outsider from none of the above. I'm personally betting the next CEO could come from a company the likes of HP, IBM, Qualcomm, or even Motorola - the last two companies knowing a few things about mobile technologies, where AMD seems to be lacking, at least according to AMD's board members.

Above and beyond the mobile market, which is supposedly what caused Meyer's demise and forced him to resign, AMD's world is much bigger than just mobile technologies. For MCAD, it is still a major player with its CPUs (such as Phenom and Athlon processors) and its GPUs (FirePro Professional Graphics cards). How will these areas be affected going forward? Will the mobile market take precedence at the expense of other markets, including MCAD? I would like to hope not, but these are tough times for most of the players in the semiconductor industry trying to predict where to go next. I wish AMD the best in finding and securing a new person at the top with great leadership, vision, broad knowledge of current and future technology needs and direction.



The Week's Top 5

At MCADCafé we track many things, including the stories that have attracted the most interest from our subscribers. Below are the five news items that were the most viewed during last week.


Dassault Systèmes Reinforces its Field Operations Jeff Ray Promoted to Executive Vice President, Geographic Operations
Dassault Systèmes announced the appointment of Jeff Ray as Executive Vice President, Geographic Operations, and member of the Dassault Systèmes executive committee. In this newly created position, Ray will oversee the company's geographies in order to empower the Dassault Systèmes local teams to serve customers' and partners' growing needs and fully exploit the market growth potential. Ray joined Dassault Systèmes in 2003 as chief operating officer for SolidWorks, and was appointed CEO of SolidWorks in 2007. Prior to his seven-year tenure at Dassault Systèmes, Ray held various senior executive positions in software and IT companies. In tandem, Bertrand Sicot has been named SolidWorks CEO. Sicot first joined Dassault Systèmes in 1997 where he was in charge of regional sales for SolidWorks in Europe. He then expanded the US SolidWorks operations from 2004 to 2007, and since 2007 has been leading the SolidWorks global sales channel.

Editor's Note: Needless to say, this is potentially a very big deal for the future and direction of SolidWorks as a company and its product line. We will be obtaining a lot more information on this in the coming weeks, as well as at SolidWorks World in San Antonio next week. We will report back on what we hear, see, and learn.

PAS Automates CMM Programming for SolidWorks Users
PAS Technology, developer of PAS CMM automation software, announced the release of a new version of PAS CMM for SolidWorks, an add-on that enables users to automate and manage CMM programming directly from the SolidWorks environment. With PAS CMM for SolidWorks, users can utilize their SolidWorks models and drawings, including GD&T, to create CMM programs in just three steps. The integrated solution enables non-expert users to generate CMM programs in minutes instead of hours or days. PAS can automatically add balloons to the SolidWorks drawings, allowing users to create an inspection plan and generate inspection reporting and visual inspection results.

Altair Engineering Acquires ACUSIM Software
Altair Engineering, Inc., announced it has acquired ACUSIM Software, Inc. (ACUSIM). Founded in 1994, ACUSIM is a developer of massively scalable, high-fidelity computational fluid dynamics (CFD) solver solutions. ACUSIM's CFD technology and staff will be incorporated into Altair's HyperWorks CAE software portfolio and operations. ACUSIM's AcuSolve, a general purpose CFD solver, is a premier brand with customers worldwide, including many Fortune 500 companies, such as Bechtel, Chevron, John Deere, Procter & Gamble, Toyota, Vestas, Visteon, and Whirlpool. Unlike other commercial CFD applications, AcuSolve is finite-element based, allowing it to be tightly integrated with other FEA-based technologies to solve complex fluid-structure interaction and multi-physics problems.

Moldex3D Announced the Official Release of NX Interface for Moldex3D/eDesign
CoreTech System Co., Ltd. (Moldex3D) announced the release of an interface for NX software from Siemens PLM Software. eDesignSYNC for NX serves as the bridge allowing NX users to access Moldex3D/eDesign from within the NX environment. Moldex3D/eDesign is a suite of advanced injection molding simulation software for plastic part validation and mold optimization. It offers complete analysis functions such as filling, packing, cooling, warpage, fiber orientation, insert molding, etc. With a task-oriented NX interface, NX users are able to access the analysis functions and capabilities of Moldex3D/eDesign for digitally verifying and optimizing their product and mold designs. Modern injection molding simulation tools have been recognized to have a great impact on product development and cost management. Now, with the eDesignSYNC for NX interface designers can synchronize their design changes with Moldex3D simulations for solving the design and manufacturing problems.

Autodesk Helps Inspire Tomorrow's Engineers Through FIRST Robotics Competition
For the 19th consecutive year, Autodesk, Inc. is a sponsor of the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) program by contributing its software, mentoring resources and, for the first time, funding grants to U.S. teams. The FIRST Robotics Competition challenges high-school students to collaborate and build a working robot in just six weeks. The annual competition promotes STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) skills while inspiring students to be leaders in tomorrow's engineering workforce. More than 2,200 teams consisting of 45,000 high-school students from around the world will participate in the 2011 FRC competition. As part of the event's Kit of Parts, each team will receive Autodesk Inventor 2011 software to design, visualize and simulate their robots in 3D before construction, saving valuable time and resources while exploring design alternatives. Using Autodesk Inventor also exposes students to the same tools and concepts used by the world's leading engineers. As members of the Autodesk Education Community, each student also receives free access to the company's 3D design, engineering and entertainment software and accompanying resources, including access to a virtual kit of robot parts modeled in Autodesk Inventor. For the first time, Autodesk will sponsor 20 teams from the United States, with grants of $5,000 each, to be used for the competition registration fee.


Jeffrey Rowe is the editor of MCADCafé and MCAD Weekly Review. He can be reached at Email Contact or 719.221.1867.



This Week

Product and Company News

Dassault Systèmes: Lawrence Tech Implements CATIA as Design Tool Standard in OEM-supported Transportation Design Program

SolidWorks Helps Amtrak Keep Rolling

Precision engineering company Alphateq selects Siemens NX-based CAD/CAM solution from Majenta PLM

PTC Launches Mathcad Prime 1.0

EasyBlank Inventor - Analysis of Stamped Parts Embedded within Autodesk Inventor Software

CAMWorks HandBook Now Available

Autodesk Announces New, Web-Based 30-Day Trial for AutoCAD LT 2011

Tech Soft 3D and ShapeSpace Announce ShapeSpace Enterprise Solution Built With HOOPS 3D Exchange

MSC.Software Introduces Adams Gear Advanced Technology Solution to Accurately Analyze Transmissions

MecSoft's VisualMILL for SolidWorks Helps Manufacture Custom Racing Flange

Intergraph Releases New Version of Enterprise Viewing and Markup Software

JETCAM Celebrates Silver Anniversary

PTC's Support for FIRST Robotics Competition Continues to Focus on STEM Education for Youth

GEOMATE unveils GrafiCalc Elements 2011 design calculation software

Schott Systeme 13 Year CAD/CAM Price Freeze

ZWSOFT Announces ZWCAD 2011 Upgrade Promotion

Leveraging EnSuite to Optimize Quoting Process and Cross functional Team Collaboration across Sales, Estimating and Engineering

What's New in CAMWorks 2011

Extra speed at Autosport International with WorkNC V21

CadExplorer, offering search and replace across multiple MicroStation and AutoCAD files, now supports ProjectWise.

3DScanCo To Resell Low-Cost, Portable Artec™, Creaform, and 3Shape Laser Scanners

Cimatron Helps Giant Mold Maker Push Efficiency to the Limit

JETCAM signs new dealer in Korea for aerospace sector

CFdesign 2011 Winter Update Cuts Simulation Time in Half

GstarCAD 2011 Releases New Function - Drawing Compare

FISHER/UNITECH Delivers Higher Quality Education with Adobe Connect™ Learning Management System (LMS)

Radan Continues to Grow -- 100 New Customers in 2010

Dassault Systèmes Promotes Innovation as Lead Sponsor of EyesOn Design Competition

SKF Lubrication publishes new CAD product catalog by CADENAS

GstarCAD Participated in China Industrial Software Development Alliance Conference

MIE Trak ERP by MIE Solutions Implemented at Heart-Fab Ltd.

CAM software considerations for bar-fed mills

PartMaker version 2011 now available

Apriso Joins PTC's PartnerAdvantage Program

IMAGINiT Technologies Secures $5.6 Million Contract

22 Brooklyn Middle Schools Capture Spots in Citywide Robotics Challenge

ZW3D, All-in-one CAD/CAM, free to try now!

GoEngineer Announces Acquisition of Texas Engineering Systems


Related MCAD News

Manufacturing technology consumption up 82.7% year-to-date

Boeing Resumes 787 Flight Testing

CollabNet Extends Agile ALM Cloud Leadership With Lab Management Upgrade

Siemens Receives its Largest Onshore Wind Turbine Order to Date

Mentor Graphics Selects 6WINDGate Packet Processing Software for Optimized Multicore Development

Ford Offers Look at Teardown of F-150 EcoBoost Engine to Public at 2011 NAIAS

HP Unveils Business Computing Portfolio

Chevrolet Volt and Ford Explorer win North American Car and Truck of the Year

Latest Release of Online Collaboration Software Offers New Resource Availability View

Ford Supercharges Electric Vehicle Plan, Unveiling New C-MAX Energi and C-MAX Hybrid Products

EDA Consortium Reports Revenue Increase for Q3 2010

Boeing Celebrates Final Assembly of 1,000th 767

AgOInc adds feasibility analysis to AnXploreranalog design optimization tool

Visteon Enhances How Drivers Interact With Increasing Array of Features in Vehicles

Boeing Reports Fourth-Quarter Deliveries


Corporate Moves

McKean Wins SAE International/AEM Outstanding Young Engineer Award


Industry Events

Media Advisory: SolidWorks World 2011, Jan. 23-26, San Antonio

ModernTech Mechanical Team Members Selected to Speak at SolidWorks World 2011

SolidWorks World 2011 Invitation - PAS Technology

SURFCAM V5.1 to Showcase at SolidWorks World 2011

See Delcam for SolidWorks at SolidWorks World

Extensible CAD to demonstrate InspectionXpert® at SolidWorks World 2011

Inventor Dean Kamen Will Be Joined by Luminaries to Help FIRST Kick off its 20th Robotics Season

Delcam to highlight aerospace success at Aero India

CIMdata Inc. Announces Next PLM Certificate Program - Ann Arbor, Michigan

Geometric to showcase products for machining automation at IMTEX 2011

Aras Announces Live Webcast: Journey to Best-in-Class Product Development

PTC to Speak at the Needham & Company's Annual Growth Conference

Bombardier Hosts the Official Kick-Off of the 2011 FIRST Robotics Competition in Quebec

“LOGO MOTION™” Game Revealed by Dean Kamen and will.i.am to 50,000 High-School Students at 2011 FIRST ® Robotics Competition Kickoff

Stratasys to Present at the Annual Needham & Company Growth Stock Conference

Chrysler Group LLC to Showcase Mopar at 2011 North American International Auto Show

Delcam CRISPIN to show more productive footwear CADCAM at WSA


Corporate Newsletters

CamWorks Newsletter November-December 2010


FEA Journal - December 2010


You can find the full MCADCafe.com event calendar here.

To read more news, click here.


-- Jeff Rowe, MCADCafe.com Contributing Editor.