Key facts
- Daniel Rausch, VP of Alexa and Echo, is stepping down next month.
- Aidan Marcuss, VP of Fire TV, advertising, and the Amazon appstore, will replace Rausch.
- Kevin Keith will assume Marcuss's responsibilities temporarily.
- Amazon announced new high-end tablet computers featuring Alexa on Thursday.
- Alexa+ is available for $139 per year with Prime membership or $20 monthly as a standalone service.
Amazon confirmed on Friday that it is restructuring leadership within its Alexa division, a move that follows the company's announcement of its first high-end tablet computers equipped with the voice assistant.
Daniel Rausch, who has been the vice president of Alexa and Echo for over three years and a 17-year veteran at Amazon, will be stepping down from his role next month. He is expected to return to another capacity within the devices and services division in 2027.
Aidan Marcuss, currently the vice president overseeing Fire TV, advertising, and the Amazon appstore, will take over Rausch's position. Marcuss joined Amazon from Microsoft in early 2025 and recently managed the release of a new Fire TV stick that received mixed reviews.
Kevin Keith, a vice president of product and marketing, will retain his current role while also temporarily assuming Marcuss's responsibilities. Amazon declined to offer further details regarding these organizational changes. The Alexa voice assistant has been a consistent source of financial losses for Amazon since its introduction in 2014.
The company has been developing a new iteration of Alexa, incorporating generative AI capabilities designed to process longer user prompts. This advanced version is featured in the newly announced Alexa Tablets, which Amazon has positioned as premium products, contrasting with the typically inexpensive nature of previous Fire tablets. The latest version, known as Alexa+, is available as part of the $139 annual Prime membership or as a standalone service for $20 per month.