Adam Selipsky steps down from AWS’ CEO post, Matt Garman to take charge

Amazon Web Services CEO Adam Selipsky has announced his departure from the company to pursue new ventures, marking the end of his three-year tenure at the helm of the cloud giant. With Selipsky's exit, the reins of AWS will pass into the hands of industry veteran Matt Garman.

Selipsky's decision to step down was confirmed by Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, who expressed gratitude for Selipsky's 15 years of service at the company. Selipsky's journey at AWS saw him rise through the ranks, initially overseeing the cloud business's sales, marketing, and support teams. After a brief departure in 2016 to lead Tableau, he returned to AWS, assuming the role of CEO in the midst of the pandemic.

Jassy acknowledged the challenges Selipsky faced during his tenure, particularly navigating the complexities brought on by the pandemic. Despite the hurdles, Selipsky's leadership was commended for steering AWS towards long-term strategies focused on customer efficiency, even at the expense of short-term revenue.

However, Selipsky's appointment was always intended to be temporary, as indicated by Jassy. Following his departure, Selipsky expressed gratitude for his time at AWS and hinted at forthcoming endeavours, stating his intention to spend time with family while contemplating his next adventure. 

Meanwhile, Matt Garman, an 18-year veteran of AWS, is set to fill Selipsky's shoes, slated to assume the role of CEO on June 3. Garman's extensive experience within AWS includes leadership roles in pivotal product divisions such as Amazon's Elastic Compute Cloud and AWS Compute services. His most recent position was as Senior Vice President of AWS Sales, Market, and Global Services. 

Jassy lauded Garman's capabilities, citing his customer-centric approach, strong product leadership, problem-solving acumen, and his track record as a quick learner. Garman's ascension to CEO comes amidst Amazon's ambitious expansion in datacenter infrastructure, including the development of an $11 billion campus in Indiana, aimed at bolstering Jassy's AI initiatives.