Struggling PC chipmaker Advanced Mico Devices Inc said senior vice president and chief sales officer Emilio Ghilardi was leaving the company with immediate effect.

AMD's chief executive, Rory Read, who took over in August, will serve as interim sales chief while the company looks for a replacement, AMD said in a statement on Tuesday.

AMD did not give a reason for Ghilardi's departure.

Read has promised to get AMD ready to fight in a quick-changing computer industry.

The company has long struggled to keep up with bigger rival Intel Corp in the market for powerful PC processors.

Both now face challenges from mobile-oriented companies such as Qualcomm Inc that are planning to make low-end PC and server chips using power-efficient technology from Britain's ARM Holdings Plc.

AMD shares closed up 3 percent at $7.13 on Tuesday.

(Reporting By Nicola Leske; editing by Andre Grenon)

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