Matt Wood, who served as the Amazon Web Services vice president of AI after 15 years with the company, recently announced his departure. He played a significant role in Amazon’s machine learning and artificial intelligence initiatives long before the generative AI trend emerged. Wood was involved in the development of Amazon Q, the company’s generative AI assistant aimed at business intelligence and software development. His exit from Amazon marks the latest in a series of executive changes in the cloud giant’s division, following the departure of former AWS CEO Adam Selipsky, who was succeeded by Matt Garman.
Wood suggested in a LinkedIn post that he will soon be joining another organization, expressing excitement at the opportunity to continue bringing reinvention, transformation, and the future to more organizations in his next role. There is speculation about who might take over Wood’s position at Amazon, but no official announcement has been made about a successor. Wood’s tenure at Amazon saw him rise to the role of VP of AI in September 2022, just before the emergence of generative artificial intelligence led by OpenAI’s ChatGPT. This innovation prompted Wood and others at AWS to work quickly to keep up with the latest advancements in AI technology.
Throughout his time at Amazon, Wood was a strong proponent of cloud computing and was instrumental in the establishment of the company’s machine learning and business intelligence initiatives. His leadership helped shape Amazon’s AI strategy, culminating in the development and launch of Amazon Q. As the presence of generative AI began to grow, Wood played a pivotal role in ensuring that Amazon remained at the forefront of innovation in this field. His departure from Amazon comes at a time of transition within the company’s cloud division, with several key executives moving on to new roles or stepping down.
Wood’s departure from Amazon after 15 years marks the end of an era for the tech giant and the cloud computing industry as a whole. His expertise and contributions to machine learning and artificial intelligence have helped shape Amazon’s approach to these cutting-edge technologies. As he looks ahead to the next chapter in his career, Wood is committed to continuing his work in driving reinvention, transformation, and innovation in organizations, signaling that he will bring his wealth of experience and expertise to new endeavors in the future. The impact of his departure on Amazon’s AI and machine learning efforts remains to be seen, but his legacy as a leader in this space is sure to have a lasting influence on the industry.
