AMD names former Apple exec as chief technology officer

AMD (http://www.amd.com) says Mark Papermaster, 50, has joined as the company’s senior vice president and chief technology officer.  He will report to president and CEO Rory Read and will oversee all of AMD’s engineering, research and development (R&D), and product development functions as the head of the newly-formed Technology and Engineering Group. 

In August 2010, Papermaster, the Apple executive in charge of hardware for the iPhone, left the company following the “antennagate” brouhaha over the iPhone 4 although that wasn’t officially the reason for his departure. Apple confirmed Papermaster’s departure, but would not say whether he was ousted or left of his own accord.

Papermaster, who was most recently vice president of Silicon Engineering at Cisco, will be responsible for establishing and executing the company’s technology and product roadmaps, integrated hardware and software development, and overseeing the creation of all of AMD’s products. The advanced research and development team led by Senior Vice President of Research and Development Chekib Akrout, as well as the engineering teams residing in AMD’s Products Group, will now report to Papermaster.

At Cisco, Papermaster was responsible for the silicon strategy, architecture, and development for the company’s switching and routing businesses.  Prior to Cisco, Papermaster served as Apple’s senior vice president of Devices Hardware Engineering responsible for the iPod and iPhone hardware development. He has also held a number of senior leadership roles at IBM, serving on the company’s Technical Leadership Team and overseeing development of key microprocessors and blade server technologies. 

Papermaster has a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from The University of Texas at Austin and a master’s degree in electrical engineering from The University of Vermont. He is a member of the University of Texas Cockrell School of  Engineering Advisory Board and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation IT Advisory Committee.  Papermaster will be based in Sunnyvale, California.