Richard Heye

hen Richard Heye started his career, he worked with others at Digital Equipment to bring to market DEC's Alpha processor.

"They helped me learn the value of doing something different, and doing it well," Heye says.

After leaving DEC, and spending six years at Apple Computer, Heye joined Advanced Micro Devices in 1997 and began working with the chip maker's software partners. So as AMD built a chip that could run both 32-bit and 64-bit software, Heye worked with ISVs including Oracle and Microsoft to ensure they were on board.

Heye says the culture fostered by AMD Chairman Jerry Sanders and CEO Hector Ruiz has helped him innovate. He recounts his role at AMD in weighing supporting technology for its processors, and trying to convince Sanders to buck the industry and eschew the more popular Rambus chipset.

"I said, 'I'm here to tell you it's a bad idea,'" Heye says he told Sanders. "To Sanders' credit, he said, 'OK, Rich, I believe you. Change the strategy.' "

Heye will oversee next week's launch of the Athlon 64 processor for desktops. While he looks forward to more innovation on PCIExpress, wireless connectivity and other enhancements, 64-bit computing will take up his time for the foreseeable future.