It’s official: Panos Panay, Microsoft’s former product lead, is headed to Amazon. In an update on Wednesday, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy announced that Panay will take the place of outgoing hardware boss Dave Limp, confirming the rumors reported by Bloomberg after Microsoft announced Panay’s departure.
Panos Panay is leaving Microsoft for Amazon
The former Surface and Windows leader is taking over Amazon’s devices and services division after Dave Limp leaves later this year.
The former Surface and Windows leader is taking over Amazon’s devices and services division after Dave Limp leaves later this year.
Photo by Becca Farsace / The Verge
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“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 devices and services organization moving forward,” Jassy writes in a note to employees.
Panay will start at Amazon at the end of October, with Limp working with him for the next couple of months to help transition him into the role. Panay had worked at Microsoft for almost 20 years, heading up major projects like the Microsoft Surface lineup and the company’s Windows operating system. Microsoft’s consumer marketing head, Yusuf Mehdi, is taking over for Panay.
Meanwhile, Blue Origin, the space company owned by former Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, just announced that Limp is taking over as CEO in December. Limp first revealed that he was stepping down from his role in August, where he oversaw Echo devices and the Alexa smart assistant.
“I’ve known Panos for years, and believe he will be a great addition to this organization moving forward,” Limp says in a statement. “He is a passionate product leader and I can’t wait to see what all of you invent together. I’ll work diligently with him for the next two months to ensure a smooth transition through our fall launches and getting through our OP1 planning.”
Panay’s departure from Microsoft was relatively sudden. It took place just before his scheduled appearance at the company’s Surface and AI event on September 21st, which was led by Medhi instead. Limp, on the other hand, hosted his final Amazon product event last week, where the company announced the new Echo Hub and AI enhancements for Alexa.
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