AMD Hires Apple Exec As Chief Processor Architect

Advanced Micro Devices this morning said it hired Jim Keller as corporate VP and chief architect of the company's microprocessor cores. Keller, 53, had been a director in the platform architecture group at Apple focusing on mobile products.

AMD said Keller's role at Apple included architecting several generation of mobile processors, including chips used in iPads, iPhones, iPods and Apple TVs. He previously had been VP of design for P.A. Semi, a chip company acquired by Apple in 2008.

AMD said Keller will "lead AMD's microprocessor core design efforts ... with a focus on developing both high-performance and low-power processor cores that will be the foundation of AMD's future products."

Before he joined P.A. Semi, Keller worked at SiByte and Broadcom. And before that, he had a previous stint at AMD "playing an instrumental role on the design team responsible for the groundbreaking AMD Athlon 64 and AMD Opteron 64 processors," the company said.

AMD this morning is down 5 cents at $4.01.