Amazon’s CEO, Andy Jassy, said that “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 spent the last 19+ years at Microsoft, where he was most recently the EVP and Chief Product Officer, leading the Windows + Devices division. He oversaw the development of Surface devices and of Windows 11. Now, he is going to be in charge of the Alexa and Echo teams at Amazon. This move could mean Amazon’s D&S division is shifting its focus.
For the first few months, Panay will be working closely with Dave Limp, who was Amazon’s head of devices and services for over 13 years. Limp played a pivotal role in developing and launching various products, including Echo, Alexa, and Amazon’s line of Fire tablets.
Such transitions of senior staff from one tech company to another are common. For example, in 2013, Hugo Barra, a former Google executive, joined Xiaomi as Vice President. He played a key role in Xiaomi’s international expansion before eventually leaving the company to join Facebook, which he left in 2021.
