Amazon Hires Microsoft Product Chief Panos Panay to Head Devices Division (Report)

variety.com:

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Panos Panay, who is exiting as Microsoft’s as chief product officer, has been hired to run Amazon’s devices group, which houses the Fire TV streaming devices, Kindle e-readers, Alexa voice assistant and Echo smart speakers, according to a Bloomberg report.

Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In a post on X (formerly Twitter) earlier Monday, Panos — who among other products led the development of Windows 11 — wrote that he was leaving Microsoft. “After 19 incredible years at Microsoft, I’ve decided to turn the page and write the next chapter,” he wrote. “I’m forever grateful for my time at Microsoft and the amazing people I had the honor to make products with.” At Amazon, Panay will replace Dave Limp, senior vice president of Amazon Devices & Services, who announced last month that he was retiring as head of hardware by the end of 2023.

Panay, who first joined Microsoft in 2004, rose through the ranks at the Redmond computer giant and oversaw the company’s Surface line of computing devices, and was responsible for the Microsoft Hardware Division, leading user experience and development for all mice, keyboards, webcams and headsets.

In 2018, he was named Microsoft’s chief product officer, where he led the development of Windows 11. With Panay’s departure from Microsoft, Yusuf Mehdi, consumer chief marketing officer and corporate VP, will take on leadership of the Windows and Surface businesses with the company’s manufacturing and retail partners..