Amazon shuffles Alexa leadership following high-end tablet release

On Friday, Amazon announced it was reshuffling leadership within its Alexa division, following the company's unveiling of its first tablet computers equipped with the voice assistant. Daniel Rausch, a 17-year Amazon employee who had served as vice president of Alexa and Echo for over three years, will be leaving the unit next month, according to a response to a Reuters inquiry.

Rausch, who frequently appeared at events and global launches as the face of Alexa, will transition to a new role within the devices and services division in 2027.

Aidan Marcuss, currently the vice president of Fire TV, advertising, and the Amazon appstore, will replace Rausch. Marcuss, who joined Amazon from Microsoft in early 2025, will oversee the newly released high-end Alexa tablet. Kevin Keith, a product and marketing vice president, will retain his current position but will also assume some of Marcuss's responsibilities temporarily. The company did not provide further details about the changes.

Alexa, which has been a consistent money loser for Amazon since its introduction in 2014, has recently developed a new version featuring generative AI capable of handling longer prompts. This new Alexa, known as Alexa+, is a key feature in the company's recently announced high-end Alexa tablets. These tablets are priced higher than Amazon's previous Fire tablets, which were known for their affordability. Alexa+ is included in the $139-per-year Prime membership or can be purchased separately for $20 monthly.