Amazon Web Services taps sales VP to replace departing CEO
The Amazon Web Services cloud computing division of Amazon has selected a company veteran as its next CEO.
Adam Selipsky, who has served as CEO of AWS for three years, is leaving the company to move onto an unspecified new challenge following a break to spend time with his family. Matt Garman, a nearly 20-year Amazon veteran who currently serves as VP of AWS sales, marketing and global services, will assume the role of AWS CEO as of June 3, 2024.
Selipsky was one of the first VPs hired when Amazon first launched AWS in 2005, and spent the next 11 years as an AWS executive, leading sales, marketing and support before leaving to become CEO of Salesforce-owned AI software company Tableau in 2016. He returned to AWS as CEO in 2021.
Highlights of Selipsky’s tenure include AWS making a $4 billion investment into San Francisco-based generative AI developer Anthropic, launching the fully managed generative AI service Amazon Bedrock, collaborating with leading generative AI platform Nvidia, and establishing plans to expand into new markets including Mexico and Saudi Arabia.
AWS also went through multiple rounds of layoffs during Selipsky’s tenure.
Garman started at Amazon as a MBA intern during the summer of 2005, and joined the company full-time in 2006 as one of the first AWS product managers. Initially working across all of AWS, Matt helped create its first service level agreements, define new features, and create new pricing plans, among other achievements.
"I take this next step with truly mixed emotions; I have spent almost 15 combined years in AWS, and it has been a real privilege," Selipsky said in a corporate blog post. "I am so grateful for all that I’ve learned about technology, leadership, organization, and culture at Amazon. Given the state of the business and the leadership team, now is an appropriate moment for me to make this transition, and to take the opportunity to spend more time with family for a while, recharge a bit, and create some mental free space to reflect and consider the possibilities."
"I’d like to thank Adam for everything he’s done to lead AWS over the past three years," Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said in the blog post. "He took over in the middle of the pandemic, which presented a wide array of leadership and business challenges.
"Under his direction, the team made the right long-term decision to help customers become more efficient in their spend, even if it meant less short-term revenue for AWS,” said Jassy. “Adam leaves AWS in a strong position, having reached a $100 billion annual revenue run rate this past quarter, with YoY revenue accelerating again."
"Over the last 18 years I have been fortunate enough to get to work on many different aspects of the AWS business, but one constant has been the world class talent and the unwavering customer obsession of the people I have gotten to work with," Garman said in the blog post.
"We are a team of missionaries working passionately to help make our customers’ lives and businesses better every day," said Garman. "It has been a privilege to work alongside all of you for the past 18 years, and I am humbled for the opportunity to continue to do so in this new broader role. I’m excited to get started."