Official news: Microsoft’s former product chief Panos Panay will go to Amazon. In the latest news released on Wednesday, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy announced that Panay will replace outgoing hardware chief Dave Limp, confirming rumors reported by Bloomberg after Microsoft announced Panay's departure.
"As a strong product builder and inventor with deep experience in both hardware and integrated services, Panos will be a great addition to our equipment and services organization going forward," Jassy wrote in the note.
Panay will start working at Amazon at the end of October, and Limp will work with him over the next few months to help him transition into the role. Panay has worked at Microsoft for nearly 20 years and was responsible for major projects such as Microsoft's Surface series and the company's Windows operating system. Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft's head of consumer marketing, will take over Panay's job.
At the same time, Blue Origin, the space company owned by former Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, just announced that Limp will take over as CEO in December. Limp first revealed in August that he was stepping down from his role at the company, where he managed Echo devices and the Alexa smart assistant.
"I have known Panos for many years and believe he will be an important part of the company's future," Limp said in a statement. "He is a passionate product leader and I can't wait to see what you create together. I will be working hard with him over the next two months to ensure a smooth transition for the fall launch and complete planning for OP1."
Panos's departure from Microsoft was relatively sudden. Just before he was scheduled to attend the company's Surface and AI event on September 21, the event was hosted by Mehdi instead. Limp hosted his final Amazon product event last week, where the company unveiled a new Echo Hub and AI enhancements to Alexa.