Amazon Web Services (AWS) recently saw a surprising leadership shift as Adam Selipsky stepped down from his role as CEO, with Matt Garman, a long-time company insider, succeeding him.
Garman, who joined Amazon as an intern in 2005 and played a key role in the development of early AWS products, most recently held the position of Senior Vice President for AWS sales, marketing, and global services.
In a recent interview, Garman shared that he has not implemented significant organizational changes yet, as AWS is already performing well. However, he emphasized the importance of focusing on startups and rapid innovation as key areas for the company.
“One of the things I’ve reemphasized is that we can’t lose our focus on startups and developers,” Garman stated. While AWS has expanded to cater to larger enterprises and governments, Garman believes it’s vital to maintain support for the startup community, where AWS originally gained traction.
Garman also stressed the need for AWS to keep pace with the rapid advancements in the tech industry, particularly in the realm of generative AI.
Despite initial concerns that AWS was slower to introduce generative AI tools compared to competitors, Garman highlighted that AWS has long been involved in machine learning, with offerings like SageMaker. He explained that AWS chose a more thoughtful approach, focusing on how its customers can integrate generative AI into their applications.
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AWS’s generative AI platform, Bedrock, allows users to work with various models and has seen rapid growth. However, Garman acknowledged that the company still faces challenges around the cost of generative AI, which AWS plans to address with custom silicon chips like Trainium chips.
Under Garman’s leadership, AWS also plans to shut down certain underperforming services while pursuing a deeper engagement with the open-source ecosystem. The company recently contributed its OpenSearch code to the Linux Foundation, reflecting its ongoing commitment to open source.
Though Garman has not made dramatic changes at AWS, his focus on accelerating innovation, supporting startups, and maintaining a leading position in generative AI will shape the company’s direction in the evolving tech landscape.
