Amazon reshuffles Alexa leadership following new tablet launch

Amazon has announced a leadership restructuring within its Alexa division, occurring one day after the company unveiled its first high-end tablet computers featuring the voice assistant.

Daniel Rausch, a 17-year Amazon veteran and former vice president of Alexa and Echo, will step away from the unit next month. He is expected to return to the devices and services division in another capacity in 2027. Aidan Marcuss, previously the vice president of Fire TV, advertising, and the Amazon appstore, will take over Rausch’s position. Kevin Keith, a product and marketing vice president, will temporarily assume Marcuss’ former responsibilities in addition to his current role.

The reshuffle follows the launch of new Alexa Tablets, which utilize an upgraded version of the voice assistant powered by generative AI. This new service, known as Alexa+, is available through a $139 annual Prime membership or as a $20 monthly standalone service. The move comes as Amazon seeks to address the fact that Alexa has been a consistent financial loss for the company since its 2014 debut.