I'm not entirely sure what the impact on AMD's current development strategies will be. Rory's background is largely within the IBM management structure, a company that isn't exactly synonymous with high-end computer gaming.
Rory's time with Lenovo also raises questions as to the directions AMD could take. Rory does have the business advantage of being credited for taking IBM's PC business and returning it to profitability under Lenovo, so there's little doubt that the guy knows what he's doing in the personal computers market as well as the server market. What's more notable is that return of the old IBM PC Division to profitability was not marked by radical changes in the direction of the company. Rather, Rory managed to bring the US Division of Lenovo to profitability in 2007 as the head of that Division; then beat forecasts in 2010 as COO; and then beat forecasts again in 2011; all without taking the usually associated hits to the company such as laying off large numbers of workers... as Lenovo's previous COO, William J. Amelio, had done in 2009.
I don't know yet if that means that Rory knows how to approach the gamer-market. There is the consideration that the board of directors may not have picked Rory if he was going to change the companies overall strategies. Referencing HP for a moment, HP's board of directors selected a new CEO on the basis of that new CEO making radical changes to the HP company.
Given Rory's background with IBM and Lenovo, it doesn't seem like Rory is the type of person to radically alter the direction of the company. For now at least, AMD's focus on gamer hardware is likely to remain unchanged.
News posting here: http://www.amd.com/us/press-releases...2011aug25.aspx
I'm not entirely sure what the impact on AMD's current development strategies will be. Rory's background is largely within the IBM management structure, a company that isn't exactly synonymous with high-end computer gaming.
Rory's time with Lenovo also raises questions as to the directions AMD could take. Rory does have the business advantage of being credited for taking IBM's PC business and returning it to profitability under Lenovo, so there's little doubt that the guy knows what he's doing in the personal computers market as well as the server market. What's more notable is that return of the old IBM PC Division to profitability was not marked by radical changes in the direction of the company. Rather, Rory managed to bring the US Division of Lenovo to profitability in 2007 as the head of that Division; then beat forecasts in 2010 as COO; and then beat forecasts again in 2011; all without taking the usually associated hits to the company such as laying off large numbers of workers... as Lenovo's previous COO, William J. Amelio, had done in 2009.
I don't know yet if that means that Rory knows how to approach the gamer-market. There is the consideration that the board of directors may not have picked Rory if he was going to change the companies overall strategies. Referencing HP for a moment, HP's board of directors selected a new CEO on the basis of that new CEO making radical changes to the HP company.
Given Rory's background with IBM and Lenovo, it doesn't seem like Rory is the type of person to radically alter the direction of the company. For now at least, AMD's focus on gamer hardware is likely to remain unchanged.