Apple’s Graphics CTO Raja Koduri Leaves the Company, Goes back to AMD

If there was any doubt that AMD is on a comeback path, look no further than seeing who is joining, or returning to the company. After the company bled numerous brilliant minds, seeing people like Jim Keller, Roy Taylor, Colette LaForce, John Gustafson all joining AMD – it is clear that the company is rebuilding itself.

This upward path comes hot on the heels of yet another disappointing quarter, which was mostly lead by aftermath of Thomas Seifert’s, AMD’s ex-CFO leaving the company. In our discussions with numerous insiders, both current and ex-AMD employees, Mr. Seifert’s name was often spoken in a significantly negative context, and some of the stories are not for publication. There were also more positive departures, with significant progress made with the ISV (Independent Software Vendors) after Mr. Huddy left to join Intel, or Mr. Dessau leaving the role of CMO.

One of the people that left AMD was Raja Koduri, who is now (allegedly) rejoining the company. Mr. Koduri was instrumental in the past, with ATI Technologies winning over the Xbox deal from Nvidia, as well as paving path to future business wins with Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo and so on. However, in 2009, Mr. Koduri was disillusioned about the path AMD-ATI was taking, and left the company – taking the role as Chief Technology Officer for Graphics at Apple Inc. That role later moved to Director of Graphics Architecture, Apple.

Just as Jim Keller left Apple to become the Chief Microprocessor Architect, bringing over John Gustafson to surprisingly, lead the graphics architecture – Raja Koduri will come to work in team with Keller and Gustafson, even though we do not have the information about what exact role will he take. It is important to know that even though California does not allow for any managerial contract limitations, Raja did leave Apple in March 2013, working on sorting out his future. Looks like the old love, red colors of AMD graphics (ex-ATI) prevailed.

We believe that the path is now clear for AMD, though – with Jim Keller, John Gustafson and Raja Koduri on the architectural level, and people such as Joe Macri evolving to a managerial role, the company is setting its path of making not just competitive products, but leading ones.

We will however, reserve the opinion about just how successful can AMD be, since the company has shown a deaf ear for multiple seven, eight and nine figure market opportunities – which are now not showing on their balance sheets, while the competitors are laughing all the way to the bank. We will see can Rory and the new management team really deliver or not. Enginering-wise, AMD is looking better than ever. Now, we can’t but stop wondering will Fred Weber re-join AMD as well, once the MIPS adventure closes.

Original Author: Theo Valich