Introduction
Here you'll find a top-level record of my graphics-related professional experience, and a bit about me. Kind of a mini résumé of sorts, to augment my use of LinkedIn. I've done some other things in my career, mostly systems programming for Internet companies, but graphics is what I've loved to do for almost the last 30 years. If you want to know more about anything here, or the other things I do or have done, drop me a line.
What I Do
I'm a lead architect for the GFXIP hardware architecture team inside AMD's GPU Technologies and Engineering (G&E). The GFXIP architecture team defines the top-level design and microarchitectural details of the GPU IP that AMD produces, working with multiple customers inside and outside of AMD to integrate that into their products, be it a dGPU, APU, S3 custom design or any other use of a GPU that G&E can supply.
Who I Am
I've been fascinated with hardware accelerated 3D graphics since the mid 1990s, ever since I fired up GLQuake. I got started writing overclocking and driver tweaking tools for the 3dfx Voodoo, then somehow ended up as a journalist covering the PC and GPUs for a living, before eventually jumping over the fence to help make them for Imagination PowerVR and now AMD. For the last 20 years or so I've worked in number of different broad areas including pre- and post-silicon competitive and performance analysis, PC gaming developer technology architecture, product roadmap development, and now GPU hardware architecture.
Experience
PMTS Project Architect, GPU Technologies and Engineering
Project architecture lead for several GPU variants across multiple generations of GFXIP. Focusing on design scalability, area optimisation and pre-silicon performance attainment.
PMTS Developer Technology Architect, CGISV
Helping to advance the state-of-the-art in gaming graphics and performance for AMD GPUs and CPUs.
Senior Director, PowerVR Graphics
Defining and driving development of PowerVR GPUs and ray-tracing IP.
AMD RTG
Mar 2017 - Jun 2019
Senior Manager, Game Engineering
Senior manager for the European game engineering team. Working on making games look and run amazingly well on Radeon GPUs.
PowerVR
Jul 2016 - Mar 2017
Senior Business Development Engineering Manager
Senior manager for the UK engineering team inside the Business Development group.
PowerVR
Apr 2014 - Jul 2016
Business Development Engineering Manager
Looking after the engineering team and overall group strategy, approach and direction.
PowerVR
Sep 2013 - Apr 2014
Senior Business Development Engineer
Introduced a new production pipeline and core technology model to the graphics demo team, and reorganised it around two streams of production (art and technology). Recruited PowerVR's first technical artist. Introduced new method and tools to rethink how PowerVR approaches graphics performance analysis.
PowerVR
Jan 2010 - Sep 2013
Leading Competitive and Performance Analysis Engineer
Formed the new Competitive and Performance Analysis group. Responsible for its day-to-day work and direction, and recruitment growth. Architecture analysis of all modern embedded GPUs. Performance analysis in pre-silicon environments. ISV relations. Competitive positioning. Semiconductor market analysis and forecasting. In-house benchmark specification and development.
Editor and Deputy Editor
Editor until April 2011, publishing a variety of architecture and performance analysis articles on contemporary GPUs and GPU architectures. Notably
NVIDIA G80,
NVIDIA GT200 and
ATI R600. Developed in-house tooling, drove technical and editorial direction and maintained the website infrastructure. Curated the forums, managing a small team of moderators. Mentored Alex Voicu for his run as editor between April 2011 and July 2015.
Group Technical Editor
Employee #1, responsible for all of the site's technical content. Drove the technical editorial direction. Developed tools and methodologies. Analysed nearly 100 DX8 and DX9-era graphics products over 6 years.
