AMD loses exec to Nvidia

Busines development boss jumps ship.

Bob Feldstein, the AMD executive responsible for maintaining partnerships with videogame console manufacturers, has jumped ship to rival chip maker Nvidia.

Feldstein, whose former title was corporate vice president of business development, has left AMD after nearly a six-year run to take on the role of vice president of technology licensing at Nvidia.

An Nvidia spokesperson told CRN that Feldstein will be tasked with helping the company "think through current and possible future technology licensing projects."

AMD did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but reportedly said that Feldstein left on "amicable terms," according to the Wall Street Journal.

Feldstein, who also spearheaded AMD’s Boston Design Center, which is responsible for designing and engineering AMD’s server and PC chips, joined AMD in 2006 when it acquired graphics chip maker ATI.

In his role, Feldstein forged and oversaw relationships with console makers like Microsoft and Sony, and reportedly beat out Nvidia with an AMD design win for Sony’s next-generation PlayStation.

Arun Iyengar, corporate vice president and general manager of the newly-formed Embedded Solutions Group at AMD, will take over Feldstein’s responsibilities in the game console space.

Feldstein’s departure is the latest in a series of executive shake-ups at AMD, as the chip maker continues to face tough competition from Intel and ARM-based chip makers like Samsung and Qualcomm.

In September, AMD announced the departure of Rick Bergman, general manager of AMD Products Group, followed by the exit of Emilio Ghilardi, senior vice president and chief sales officer, in February.

Eric Demers, corporate vice president and CTO of AMD’s Graphics Business Unit, also left the company in February.

This article originally appeared at crn.com