AMD rejiggers management; Forms central engineering group

AMD on Monday named a new head of its computing solutions group and created a central engineering unit to improve execution at the chipmaker.

Among the moving parts:

• Randy Allen was promoted to lead the computing solutions group at AMD, which focuses on the company’s consumer and commercial processors. Allen had been responsible for AMD’s server and workstation business and had been in charge of microprocessor engineering. He replaces Mario Rivas, who was responsible for the Barcelona launch (see Tom Krazit’s take).
• Chekib Akrout joins AMD from Freescale to help lead a new central engineering unit. Akrout was in charge of design technology at Freescale and had developed chips for IBM. Jeff VerHeul, corporate vice president of design engineering, will be co-leader of the group along with Akrout.
• Allen Sockwell becomes chief talent officer replacing Michel Cadieux.

According to AMD chief operating officer Dirk Meyer, the moves are designed to “enhance our execution” and focus the company.