If you worked in an IT organization that was looking to upgrade its servers and data center strategy 10 years ago, you probably didn’t have much of a choice when it came to the chips and the underlying technology in the machines. Intel was dominating the market for server chips at the time with its Xeon processors.

A decade later, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) has pulled off an impressive turnaround. When it comes to processors in everything from servers to PCs to gaming consoles, AMD’s market share is up and so is its stock price.

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In this episode of B2B Nation, we talk to David Melendrez, an account manager at AMD, who manages the relationship between AMD and one of its biggest and most strategic partners: Dell. David’s job at AMD is to make sure the Dell team has all of the knowledge and tools it needs to grow market share and nurture the relationship between the companies.

In our discussion, we talked about the unique nature of working with a single client, how two very large organizations cooperate to market and sell their products, and David’s journey to a front-row seat for one of the biggest turnarounds in tech history.

Episode Guide

3:20: Even with one customer, making new contacts is critical to success.

5:00: What types of conversations does David lead with his customers at Dell?

9:10: David’s unorthodox journey to his role at AMD.

11:44: What is the most important skill for managing a large, complex relationship like the one between AMD and Dell?

13:31: How do AMD and Dell work together to market Dell products with AMD technology?

17:31: What is David’s favorite tool?