Key Points:
- Adam Selipsky will resign next month as CEO of AWS. An 18-year Amazon veteran, Matt Garman, will be appointed as Selipsky’s successor.
- Amazon CEO Andy Jassy announced the leadership transition and praised Selipsky’s contributions to AWS.
- Selipsky’s departure coincided with organizational changes, including integrating the sustainability organization into Amazon’s global division.
- Despite challenges, AWS remains a key revenue driver for Amazon and a leader in the cloud computing industry.
Amazon announced on Tuesday that Adam Selipsky, the CEO of Amazon’s cloud computing arm, Amazon Web Services (AWS), will resign next month. Matt Garman, currently serving as the senior vice president of sales and marketing at AWS, will assume the CEO role after Selipsky’s departure on June 3.
In a memo to employees, Selipsky cited his decision to step down after approximately 14 years at AWS as a move to prioritize spending more time with his family. He expressed confidence in AWS’s future, describing it as a “juggernaut cloud business.”
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy praised Selipsky’s leadership in a separate memo, commending his contributions to AWS’s growth and success. Jassy highlighted Garman’s extensive experience at Amazon, spanning 18 years, and emphasized his readiness to assume the new role.
As part of the leadership transition, Jassy announced that the worldwide sustainability organization, previously overseen by Selipsky, will now be integrated into Amazon’s global communications and community impact division. Jassy emphasized the importance of collaboration across Amazon’s teams for success in sustainability initiatives.
Various challenges, including a slowdown in revenue growth and rounds of layoffs amid broader company restructuring, have marked Selipsky’s tenure as CEO of AWS. However, AWS has also seen increased demand for generative artificial intelligence services, prompting strategic investments in startups like Anthropic.
Despite facing competition from Microsoft’s Azure cloud business, AWS remains a dominant force in the cloud computing industry, generating substantial operating income for Amazon. Selipsky’s compensation for 2022 was reported at $41.1 million, primarily from stock awards. Selipsky’s departure adds to a series of recent high-profile executive exits from Amazon, including Dave Limp, former devices chief, and Chris Vonderhaar, an AWS vice president.
