Lisa Su, CEO of Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), has cultivated a demanding work culture at the $210 billion semiconductor company. According to CNBC, Dr Su reportedly holds weekend meetings and frequently communicates with employees late at night, expecting responses even after midnight. She believes this rigorous schedule is driven by the ambitious goals of the company, which motivates her team to push boundaries. Notably, the 55-year-old is a cousin of Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang.
Dr Su was recently named Time’s CEO of the Year 2024, a testament to her leadership and transformative impact on Advanced Micro Devices (AMD). Since taking the reins as CEO in 2014, she has spearheaded a phenomenal decade-long growth trajectory, with AMD’s stock price surging nearly 50-fold. Under her guidance, AMD has emerged as a dominant force in the industry, solidifying its position alongside giants Intel and Nvidia in terms of market capitalisation.
Dr Su believes her success is due to her ability to set exceptionally high standards for herself and those around her. “I don’t believe leaders are born. I believe leaders are trained,” she said.
“People are really motivated by ambitious goals. The previous strategy of, ‘Hey, let’s just do a little bit better here and there’ — that’s actually less motivational.” she added.
According to Patrick Moorhead, a tech-industry analyst and former AMD executive, Dr Su’s leadership style is characterised by high expectations and a results-driven approach. Mr Moorhead, who departed AMD before Su’s arrival, noted that Su’s demanding management style can be challenging for some employees and individuals who fail to meet their commitments often struggle to thrive within the company.
The CEO often expects her employees to discuss the intricacies of lengthy documents during morning calls, having received them just hours earlier at midnight. She is also renowned for her attention to detail, personally reviewing prototype chips as soon as they arrive from the factory.
About Lisa Su
Born in Taiwan, Lisa Su immigrated to the United States with her parents at the age of three, settling in New York where her father pursued his graduate studies in mathematics. Her early exposure to mathematics, courtesy of her father’s rigorous quizzing sessions at the dinner table, laid the foundation for her future academic pursuits. However, her initial aspirations lay elsewhere. As a teenager, she dreamed of becoming a concert pianist, although she eventually realised that her talents lay elsewhere.
Dr Su’s academic excellence led her to the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where she earned her bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in electrical engineering. Her impressive educational background paved the way for a successful career in the tech industry, with stints at Texas Instruments and IBM in the 1990s.
In 2012, Dr Su joined Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) as a senior vice president and general manager, and just two years later, she made history by becoming the company’s first female CEO since its founding in 1969.
As one of the few Fortune 500 CEOs with a PhD, Dr Su’s technical expertise has been instrumental in driving AMD’s recent success. Her engineering background has enabled her to spearhead innovative projects, including the development of faster CPU chips for computers.
