Anjana Srinivasan took over as AMD’s EMEA commercial channel chief earlier this year and is now focused on developing the company’s market share in the UK – for which the channel is central to her plans.
For Anjana Srinivasan, it’s been a busy few months. Anjana took on the role of EMEA commercial channel chief at AMD in May this year and has since immersed herself in the company and is now focused on achieving and building meaningful and long-lasting success for AMD and its partners and customers.
But Anjana’s current role is a far cry from what she set out to do on leaving education. Indeed, like many in the sector, she didn’t set out to build a career in technology, she found her route in accidentally. “I originally trained as an architect, which might seem far removed from tech, but I had a professor who once told our class that only 2% of us would go on to practice architecture,” she explains. “The rest, he said, would take the mindset of building from scratch and apply it elsewhere. That idea stayed with me.
“Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of working across geographies and disciplines – sales, operations, advertising, marketing at Lenovo, Microsoft and now AMD. Incredible companies that shaped my perspective. What’s kept me in tech is its real-world impact – both tangible and intangible. There’s a responsibility and a privilege in working in a space that touches lives so deeply, and I continue to be fascinated by its evolution.”
Understandably, when the opportunity came up at AMD, Anjana was quickly attracted to it. “Silicon is at the heart of transformation – it’s the engine behind some of the most profound shifts in business and everyday life,” she says. “That’s what drew me in. When I saw Stephanie Dismore, a leader I deeply respect, join AMD, it signalled to me the direction the company was heading. And of course, the journey Dr Lisa Su has led over the past decade is nothing short of remarkable. It’s inspiring to be part of that story.
“My role brings something different to how AMD shows up in EMEA: more dedicated coverage, clearer enablement and stronger executive alignment. The goal is simple: make it easier for partners to build profitable solutions on AMD, across PCs and datacentre. I want to spend the next decade building something meaningful with our partners.”
Leading the market
Working towards this goal, Anjana will be building on an already well-established base. “Partners are looking for choice, efficiency and a vendor that shows up consistently and that’s where we’re leaning in,” she says. “Right now, a lot of conversations are centred around datacentre – AI, analytics, virtualisation and modernisation – alongside a healthy commercial PC refresh, where we are leading with AI PCs. Our growth is being driven by consistency and by making it easier to do business with us.”
She adds that she is excited to see the proliferation of higher-end AI PCs and tasks that require AI at the edge. “Because that will drive the next phase of growth and AMD’s well positioned with our broad Copilot+ PC portfolio, jointly built with our ecosystem partners,” Anjana explains.
“Another key driver of growth is the datacentre, whether its consolidation or virtualisation or explosion of sovereign AI, there is significant growth to be had in these areas and given AMD’s global leadership in this space, a significant opportunity for us in EMEA to get behind, jointly with our channel partners.”
AI influence
As mentioned, AI is having an increasing impact on the sector, and this is driving a lot of customer demand currently. “AI is reshaping how products are built and how partners sell,” says Anjana. “In the channel, AI isn’t a SKU – it’s a solution. We’re enabling partners to package AMD platforms with software and services so customers can pilot quickly, scale safely and measure impact.”
Of course, rising demand for AI is also changing the demands on data centres. “There’s rising demand for efficient compute, faster time-to-value and flexible deployment models – whether core, cloud or edge,” says Anjana. “Partners are responding by productising these needs into managed services and integrated stacks built on AMD.
“Customers are looking for practical AI with secure, predictable deployments that deliver real value. They’re focused on performance-per-watt, total cost and time-to-value, and they want the flexibility to place workloads across core, cloud and edge. Server and commercial AI PC are front and centre, with gaming continuing to be a strong pillar.
“AI is fundamentally reshaping compute across the entire stack – from datacentre to endpoint – creating new opportunities on-prem, in the cloud, at the edge, and on the PC. From my conversations across the channel, it’s clear that server remains a key focus for AI and analytics workloads, while AI PCs are accelerating adoption in productivity and security-driven environments. With the most comprehensive AI compute portfolio spanning both datacentre and client, AMD is uniquely positioned to deliver differentiated value to customers across this transformation.”
AI is also changing the nature of cyberthreats, and this is something that AMD is also alive to. “Security must start in silicon and carry through the stack,” says Anjana. “We work closely with OEMs and ISVs on platform hardening, modern authentication, memory protection and timely updates so partners can sell resilience without adding complexity. And our approach is simple: say it, then do it.”
Engaging the channel
But while AMD works closely with OEMs, it also works closely with the channel – and will continue to do so. “The channel is central to our strategy, especially in server and AI PC,” says Anjana. “To meet customers where they are, we need partners who can design, integrate and support solutions. We’re also working to shift perceptions: from AMD as ‘client-first’ to a broader story that includes server and moving to an outcome-based approach vs a technology based one.”
To this end, AMD has launched a Partner Advisory Board in EMEA. “This will bring together CEOs of our most strategic partners to help shape the market,” explains Anjana. “Alongside that, we’re driving executive alignment, consistent enablement and incentives that reward solution selling.”
This goes alongside AMD’s Partner Program. “The AMD Partner Program has been set up to better support partners with co-marketing, demand generation and enablement,” explains Anjana. “This strategic move is designed to deepen relationships with distributors, OEMs and solution providers across SMB and enterprise segments.”
The channel will continue to be central to AMD’s growth in the coming years. “Server and AI-enabled clients will be a big driver of growth in the years to come,” says Anjana. “What’s making headlines today will soon be felt in the channel. Our role is to help partners improve margin profiles – by bringing in technology that’s more profitable and easier to work with and supporting them to package it as services.
“We execute and we do what we say. We’re putting more people on the ground, streamlining engagement and keeping our message steady – margin and growth, that’s what partners care about.”
Anjana adds that team and consistency are key to AMD’s strategy in the channel to ensure that they are best placed to capitalise on the opportunities in the market. “We’re expanding dedicated partner coverage, adding more data centre and cloud specialists and investing in distribution to broaden access to AMD products,” she says. “We’re also keeping our messaging steady and equipping partners with the tools they need to tell our story confidently.”
Future
This all ties in with Anjana’s ambitions for AMD. “I want AMD to become the most trusted and consistent partner in the channel,” she says. “That means showing up with clarity, delivering with precision, and building with purpose – together with our partners.”
With these plans in place, Anjana is looking to the future with confidence. “We’re proud of our roadmap and our track record of delivering on it,” she says. “Rather than pre-empt announcements, my priority is turning that roadmap into repeatable plays for the channel – reference stacks, enablement and incentives that help partners translate launches into predictable revenue,” she says.
“There’s a real sense of momentum in the channel around AMD right now. Especially with AI, it’s no longer just about reselling a box – it’s about building solutions. That’s where partners can create durable margin. My focus is on helping our channel partners do exactly that; elevate our joint presence and accelerate our joint impact.”
