AMD has been riding a rollercoaster in 2011, where it started to look for a new VP and leader after rolling off Dick Meyer towards new adventures. It followed this with a successful launch of the energy efficient Brazos platform. While waiting for the peak of the ride, the Bulldozer architecture, it has been revealed that Rick Bergman is leaving the company.
The big question is if Rick Bergman, general manager of AMD’s product group, is leaving on his own, or was forced out. AMD says that Bergman is leaving the company and that new VP Rory Read will fill in as interim general manager for AMD’s product group.
According to other sources Rick Bergman was in fact fired. The reason is said to be that Rick Bergman – who once was a part of ATI – was responsible for AMD’s relation to semiconductor manufacturer GlobalFoundries. According to HardOCP, Global Foundries was unable to supply AMD with the circuits it needed and this then reflected badly on Bergman.
AMD has not commented on why Rick Bergman has left the company, but has made sure to fill the void by hiring Paul Struhsaker as vd and general manager for its commercial business division, where he will be head of product management and planning for AMD’s servers, HPC solutions and integrated products.
What Rick Bergmans will do now is uncertain, but as one of the proponents of the ATI RV770 architecture it is a man that will most definitely return in a similar suit someday.
