AMD NAMES MOTOROLA VETERAN HECTOR DE J. RUIZ, PH.D., PRESIDENT AND CHIEF
OPERATING OFFICER
SUNNYVALE, CA -January 25, 2000 -AMD today announced the appointment
of former Motorola executive Hector de J. Ruiz, Ph.D., 54, as president and
chief operating officer. Ruiz will report to AMD Chairman and Chief
Executive Officer W.J. Sanders III, who has been serving as acting president
and chief operating officer since July of 1999. Ruiz will also join the
board of directors of AMD.
Immediately prior to joining AMD, Ruiz served as president of
Motorola's Semiconductor Products Sector (SPS). In this post, Ruiz was
responsible for leading Motorola's worldwide semiconductor operations, a
$7.3 billion a year business with 33,000 employees.
"Hector Ruiz is one of the real stars of the semiconductor
industry," said Sanders. "He has a track record of successful execution at
one of the world's premier technology companies. At Motorola he demonstrated
the ability to drive profitability while building a strong operation capable
of managing the accelerated pace of technological change. Process technology
is the core of our industry, and Hector's experience in ramping
state-of-the-art technologies into high-volume production should prove
particularly valuable in his new post at AMD. His appointment has
strengthened the top management team at AMD and should significantly enhance
our operational execution."
"I'm excited to join AMD," said Ruiz. "Every executive dreams of
having the opportunity to run a company, and joining AMD presents me with
the future prospect of leading one of the industry's great companies. AMD
has great products and world-class technology. The company is a recognized
leader in two of the industry's most exciting sectors, PC processors and
Flash memory. The award-winning AMD Athlonâ processor and the company's
industry-leading Flash memory products offer enormous opportunities for
growth," said Ruiz.
Ruiz has more than 25 years of experience in the semiconductor
industry. He is a graduate of the University of Texas in Austin, where he
earned a bachelor's and a master's degree in electrical engineering. He also
holds a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Rice University.
Ruiz joined Motorola in 1977 and held a number of positions of
increasing responsibility during his 22-year tenure. While managing the
Semiconductor Products Sector, Ruiz successfully drove key technology
transitions, including Motorola's recent move from aluminum interconnect
technology to high-performance copper technology. Ruiz is widely credited
with transforming SPS into a market- and customer-focused organization. In
addition to his post as president of SPS, Ruiz also held the post of
executive vice president of Motorola Corporation.
Ruiz is married and has three children. In 1999 he was named
"Hispanic Engineer of the Year" by the Hispanic Engineer National
Achievement Awards Conference.
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