TSMC executive defects to Global Foundries

TSMC MIGHT WORRY about losing future market share to Global Foundries, but for now the Taiwanese chip shop must be hoping not to lose any more high level executives to the AMD fab spinoff, following the defection of the head of its North America Design Centre.

The INQ has learned that tomorrow Subramani Kengeri will be named vice president of design solutions at Global Foundries, having been poached from the firm's rival and nemesis, TSMC.

Kengeri not only served as chief of TSMC's North America Design Centre but he was also senior director of its design and technology platform operations, meaning he comes to GloFo laden with a wealth of TSMC technical secrets and know how.

Kengeri - who reportedly has over 20 years experience managing the nuts and bolts of the semiconductor industry from work at Texas Instruments, Silicon Access Networks, Virage Logic, and others - will be reporting to another new hire, Mojy Chian, formerly of Altera and now senior veep of Global Foundries' design enablement team.

Both men are set to work out of Sunnyvale, California, and Kengeri, a holder of 24 US patents, is said to be "excited" to start work for his new firm.

Before leaving TSMC, Kengeri's team was working on the development of system-on-a-chip (SOC) enablement designs as well as technology co-optimisation for advanced process nodes.

Here at the INQ, we've also heard whispers that Kengeri was a key architect of the recent TSMC deal with Intel, something else Global Foundries likely can't wait to hear a lot more about.

One thing's for sure, Kengeri's hiring will certainly send a message from Global Foundries that will travel loud and clear all the way to Taiwan. That message? "We mean business." µ