Former ATI CEO Resigns From AMD

Dave Orton, former president and chief executive officer of ATI Technologies, resigned this morning as executive vice president of Advanced Micro Devices. Though a company release spared details on Orton's resignation, the former executive, who will leave his position at the end of July, said he is leaving AMD "with mixed feelings." "I am very optimistic about AMD's future," Orton said in a statement. "I believe strongly in the strategies that brought AMD and ATI together and the talented employees of the 'new AMD' who are committed to winning in the market..." Dirk Meyer, AMD president and chief operating officer, said Orton was 'a key driver' in the integration of AMD and ATI. AMD acquired ATI Technologies in October. "With his integration work complete and the successful launch of key graphics and chipset products earlier this year, the time was right for Dave to take his personal and professional life in a different direction," Meyer said in a statement. Yesterday, AMD announced a $7.5 million investment in struggling IP licensing company Transmeta Corp, while rival chipmaker Intel invested $218.5 million in virtualization software firm VMWare Inc.