Microsoft alum Panos Panay has been tapped to lead Amazon’s Devices & Services (D&S) business, the e-commerce giant confirmed today.
Panay was previously with Microsoft for over 19 years, most recently serving as its EVP and chief product officer, leading the Windows + Devices division. Panay began his tenure at Microsoft in the role of group program manager, PC hardware, back in 2004. After an eight-year stint as Corporate VP of Microsoft Devices, the executive was appointed to his most recent role in 2018. During his time at Microsoft, Panay was well known for his impassioned Surface presentations.
In a blog post announcing the news, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy wrote: “As a strong product builder and inventor who has deep experience in both hardware and integrated services, Panos will be a great addition to our D&S organization moving forward.”
Panay will begin his new role at the end of October.
The news is not a surprise, as TechCrunch reported, it was rumored earlier this month to be happening when Panay’s departure from Microsoft was made public. As TC’s Brian Heater noted, bringing on someone with PC experience could mark a shift in focus for Amazon’s Devices & Services division, which was impacted by last year’s Amazon layoffs.
Amazon’s hardware chief Dave Limp in August confirmed he would be stepping down by the end of the year. Earlier this week, it was announced that Limp would be taking over as CEO of Jeff Bezos’ other company, aerospace outfit Blue Origin. Limp, who was Amazon’s senior vice president of devices and services for more than 13 years, had overseen the development and rollout of numerous products, including Echo and Alexa, as well as the company’s line of Fire tablets.