Intel hires former AMD executive to lead discrete GPU development

[Shawn Knight]

In context: A quick look at Masooma Bhaiwala’s LinkedIn profile reveals that she started working at Intel in December. Before that, she had been with AMD since July 2004 – first as a senior director of design engineering then as a corporate vice president. While at AMD, she worked on three semi-custom game console chips as well as other semi-custom APUs and ASIC products for various customers.

Another former AMD executive has left the company to work for its rival.

According to a recent report from CRN, Intel has hired Masooma Bhaiwala to lead its discrete GPU division which is expected to launch its first products in 2020. In speaking to the publication, Bhaiwala said her official title is vice president of discrete GPU SoCs.

All told, she has more than 27 years of experience in building silicon, her profile notes.

This isn’t the first time Intel has poached key talent from its archenemy. In late 2017, Radeon Technologies Group chief Raja Koduri abruptly left AMD and was hired by Intel just one day later. Since that time, several AMD vets have also jumped ship according to CRN.

Intel shared some of its early designs for discrete graphics cards earlier this year. Unfortunately, we still don’t have any detailed specs regarding the cards but those will likely come down the pipe in the not-too-distant future.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/83285-intel-hires-former-amd-executive-lead-discrete-gpu.html

 

[noel24]

Usually rats flee a sinking ship...

 

[JaredTheDragon]

Usually rats flee a sinking ship...

Guess you haven't read the GPU news lately or in the past two decades.

 

[ShagnWagn]

Being an executive, I would imagine you are far detached from the real inner workings of the technology. You basically pick up buzz words and maybe basic concepts. At least from my experience of corporate executives in several different industries. Am I missing something here? /shrug

 

[neeyik]

If one assumes that Bhaiwala's LinkedIn profile is accurate, then her degree in Electrical Engineering, Master's Degree in Computer Engineering, and 13 years experience of being a logic and architecture designer for DEC and Sun (before moving into design management, and custom APU designs for games consoles with AMD) would strongly suggest that she is more than capable of understanding just a few buzz words related to GPUs.

 

[Uncle Al]

A wise business mood .... now if they just give him the freedom to work unencumbered ....

 

[noel24]

Guess you haven't read the GPU news lately or in the past two decades.

Cheeses, I meant Intel... Rats are boarding a ship slowly taking water.
The sarcasm is not strong with this one.

 

[ShagnWagn]

If one assumes that Bhaiwala's LinkedIn profile is accurate, then her degree in Electrical Engineering, Master's Degree in Computer Engineering, and 13 years experience of being a logic and architecture designer for DEC and Sun (before moving into design management, and custom APU designs for games consoles with AMD) would strongly suggest that she is more than capable of understanding just a few buzz words related to GPUs.

Ok, so let me rephrase that. Nothing recent. Just because you have degrees years and years ago, and experience from years ago, does not mean you understand current technology. Especially in the video card/computer hardware that changes so rapidly. Just a few years have significant differences and brand new technologies. Such an example is ray tracing. I wonder how much in-depth in the weeds technical knowledge he really has on that. If he has a lot of time invested in that, how much less of an executive role is being used? Hmm.

 

[cliffordcooley]

Are we commenting on the same person? Some are commenting his while others are commenting her.

 

[CharmsD]

...late 2017, Radeon Technologies Group chief Raja Koduri abruptly left AMD

..late 2019, Intel video chip-chief Raja Koduri abruptly left INTEL because the new graphics cards have a (tiny) "thermal issue".

Bhaiwala's resume looks suite for a Lisa Su followup. Impressive!

 

[CharmsD]

Just a few years have significant differences and brand new technologies. Such an example is ray tracing. I wonder how much in-depth in the weeds technical knowledge he really has on that. If he has a lot of time invested in that, how much less of an executive role is being used? Hmm.

There's nothing notably difficult to raytracing, the math requirement is vectors, dot products, and cross products.

 

[noel24]

Are we commenting on the same person? Some are commenting his while others are commenting her.

Did You just assume their gender?

 

[Homerlovesbeer]

Did You just assume their gender?

Well the picture depicts a person with a mustache so unless women has suddenly started growing full blown tashes it has to be a man or "he" (unless the pic is wrong).

 

[cliffordcooley]

Did You just assume their gender?

If I was going to assume, I wouldn't have asked either way.

 

[Homerlovesbeer]

Are we commenting on the same person? Some are commenting his while others are commenting her.

Unless women are now growing full blown mustache's I'd say it's safe to say it's a "he".

 

[tancabean]

Unless women are now growing full blown mustache's I'd say it's safe to say it's a "he".

The pic is Raja Khoduri.

 

[cliffordcooley]

Unless women are now growing full blown mustache's I'd say it's safe to say it's a "he".

The picture is not who the article is talking about. The article makes it clear a woman is taking the role.

 

[hahahanoobs]

Guess you haven't read the GPU news lately or in the past two decades.

You mean the loss in dGPU market share since 5700 series Navi, the temp issues with 5700 series Navi or the 7nm RX 580 rebrand AND wants to call the 5500X? How about how well the Radeon VII did? Or how reviewers recommended the 980 Ti over the Fury X? How about GCN.....

 

[Porkous]

Nothing to worry about. Looking at interviews other publications took recently from both new comers they had at that time. People like these look for challenges and the impact of their work. It just means that at Intel, they might face much more challenges then AMD, or Nvidia has. Anyone wants to start with a clean slate once in a while, and what is most excitingly as having so much experience, and just going with the flow: "live for a cause, or die for one" type of motto. Intel has to prove themselves as the little child in the group.

I think even if they took half of their employees, to exaggerate a bit, AMD could simply hire twice as much, as strength relies in the numbers, but also in a proper system and environment. Most of the breakthrough these days come from universities research and laboratories where the brain storm is happening, seems like there has to be someone to grind and implement.

I would like AMD to employ an ideology more toward... the likes of Samsung or Arm.

 

[ypsylon]

Wouldn't be just more simple and quicker for Intel to buy AMD Radeon division instead chipping away one engineer at a time?

Just thinking out loud.

 

[cliffordcooley]

Wouldn't be just more simple and quicker for Intel to buy AMD Radeon division instead chipping away one engineer at a time?

Yes, but at what expense?

 

[captaincranky]

Are we commenting on the same person? Some are commenting his while others are commenting her....[ ]...

I think "she" hired "him", is the proper gender assignment. But then I can't read, since I used to work for the US Post Office. (**)

(**) No biggie though, since nowadays they have machines to do it for you.

Ignore all of the above.....Shawn is the person who screwed the gender all up in the article.

The other possibility(s) are that Shawn posted the wrong photo, or "Ms" Bhaiwala is really, really butch, and the mustache is just a stick-on...

 

[mailpup]

The other possibility(s) are that Shawn posted the wrong photo, or "Ms" Bhaiwala is really, really butch, and the mustache is just a stick-on...

The photo is Raja Koduri who is also mentioned in the article. It is a bit confusing though because he is not the main subject of the article.

 

[captaincranky]

The photo is Raja Koduri who is also mentioned in the article. It is a bit confusing though because he is not the main subject of the article.

Only "a bit" you say?

 

[skline00]

Masooma Bhaiwala is an extraordinary female executive with extensive credential who will do well at Intel.