Matt Garman has been named as the new CEO of Amazon Web Services, bringing years of product and sales experience to his new role. He has a background in industrial engineering and has worked at Amazon for 18 years, leading the Elastic Cloud Compute business before moving on to sales and marketing. Garman is known for his problem-solving skills and inquisitive personality, which have helped him succeed in various aspects of the business.
Garman’s appointment comes at a crucial time for AWS, as the public cloud platform faces competition from the likes of Microsoft, Google, and OpenAI in the field of artificial intelligence. Amazon Web Services continues to lead the cloud market with a 31% market share, but its competitors have been closing the gap with investments in infrastructure to support AI growth. Garman will need to leverage his experience to steer AWS through this high-stakes technical race.
Despite a head of steam with AWS revenue up in the first quarter, Amazon Web Services faces challenges from Microsoft and Google, who have innovative AI offerings like Copilot and Gemini to attract clients. AWS has made progress with Bedrock, a managed service for AI application development, although Amazon Q has not shown the same traction. Garman’s leadership will be crucial in positioning AWS as a platform for breakthrough AI applications.
Garman’s selection as CEO was largely expected, given his tenure at AWS and breadth of experience in product and sales. He shares traits with former AWS CEO Andy Jassy, such as being a good listener and asking the right questions. Garman’s technical expertise and product background make him a fitting choice for the role. As AWS transitions to a new leadership, Garman’s leadership style is expected to be similar to Jassy’s, as he has worked closely with him during his time at AWS.
Garman’s leadership approach involves working closely with customers to understand their needs before developing AI technologies. He focuses on customer feedback, particularly in areas like security and data protection, to inform the development of new technologies. Garman’s ability to listen and problem-solve has been instrumental in his success at Amazon, and he is expected to use these skills to lead AWS through the evolving landscape of cloud and AI technologies.
Garman officially takes over as AWS CEO in June, inheriting a $100 billion business with a significant market share. With his experience in product management, sales, and marketing, as well as his technical background, Garman is well-positioned to navigate the challenges and opportunities facing Amazon Web Services in the dynamic cloud market. His combination of skills and leadership traits make him a strong choice to lead AWS into the next chapter of its growth and innovation.
