AMD, Sunnyvale, CA
Company: AMD, Sunnyvale, CA
Company Description: AMD (NYSE: AMD) designs and integrates technology that powers millions of intelligent devices, including personal computers, tablets, game consoles and cloud servers that define the new era of surround computing. AMD solutions enable people everywhere to realize the full potential of their favorite devices and applications to push the boundaries of what is possible.
Nomination Category: Sales Awards Individual Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Worldwide Sales Executive of the Year
Nomination Title: David Kenyon, Vice President of Worldwide Business Management
Tell the story about what this nominee achieved since the beginning of July 2012 (up to 525 words). Focus on specific accomplishments, and relate these accomplishments to past performance or industry norms. Be sure to mention obstacles overcome, innovations or discoveries made, and outcomes:
Good leaders exceed targets and expectations, motivate employees to produce better work, and continually add incredible value in numerous ways. Great leaders do more, taking a comprehensive approach and having the vision to enhance their company’s performance, the insight to identify opportunities, and the ability to flawlessly execute strategies. David Kenyon goes further, always pushing AMD to higher levels of success.
Since taking the reins as vice president, worldwide business management, and the head of AMD’s distribution channel in 2008, David has constantly inspired his international team to evolve, growing the channel in emerging markets and throughout the world and, this past year, introducing a Business Management System (BMS) that overhauled, streamlined, and dramatically improved operations.
Before BMS
Prior to BMS, AMD had no visibility into design wins, limited intelligence around in-quarter performance, and a lack of alignment across teams in various markets. While reports were available following each quarter, there was no centralized resource that outlined and explained performance. With BMS, David set out to change this.
The Plan and Execution
Recognizing the necessity of vastly improved measurement and reporting, David initiated and oversaw the implementation of the system. Its goal was an effective way to forecast, drive, and measure AMD’s core business and it rolled out in three transformative phases with eight stages of development. This was a massive, worldwide undertaking.
The BMS Era
With a robust international presence, AMD’s scope is gigantic. Using BMS, David made alignment and performance tracking across all regions possible, creating a consistent view, allowing for the easy analysis of findings, and more importantly, enabling quick and efficient evolution of processes and strategies.
Key developments included a harmonized market opportunity map (MOM) which optimizes strategy across markets, price bands, and designs; thorough tracking of progress six months in advance of each quarter; and standard design performance, which highlighted risks and links to consumption, inventory, and sell-out attainment.
Practical Benefits
The new BMS model introduced a variety of practical tools:
1. Inventory tracker: allowing for easy tracking, forecasting, and, ultimately, the prediction of resulting revenue
2. SPOT: creating more accurate sell-out targets
3. BDE retail forecast: enhancing the reporting and tracking of sell-out goals by MNC, regions, retailers, platforms, and MAF planning
4. Design win tracking: report platform opportunities and track wins and losses
5. Sell-out attainment: close gaps in regional and retail assortment
6. MNC planning process: employ MNC strategy to plan incentives, designs, units, and revenue across regions.
Additionally, the new system aligned regional processes, providing data and analytics for better predictability and, as a result, better business outcomes.
The Results
By recognizing both the need for and business opportunities in a BMS system, David entirely revamped and revitalized AMD’s approach to sales and played an integral role in overall strategy.
BMS has contributed to growth in a number of markets and resulted in the harmonization of 722 partners, created a regional price band strategy, achieved MNC penetration by market, driven trust across functions, increased sell-out and market share, cultivated organization trust, and saved millions of dollars in headcount and related expenses per quarter. Ultimately, BMS created an efficient, data-driven, agile and aligned team across the world.
Provide a brief (up to 125 words) biography about the nominee:
David Kenyon is a global sales executive with a proven track record of success, not only in sales but also in marketing, strategy, and finance roles within the highly competitive semiconductor, communication, and storage industries.
In his current role as AMD’s Vice President of Worldwide Business Management, David is responsible for sales operations including planning, forecasting, and funding global revenue across the corporation. David also leads AMD’s go-to-market efforts across all channels and geographies developing integrated and coordinated MNC plans and driving consistent channel strategy focused on revenue and share growth.
David has a master’s degree in business administration from Harvard University, and bachelor’s degrees in finance and economics from Loyola Marymount University.