Amazon Web Services Inc. today announced the hiring of Raejeanne Skillern as its new vice president and chief marketing officer.

The news, sourced from an internal memo, was confirmed by an AWS spokesperson to SiliconANGLE. The position has been vacant since former CMO Rachel Thornton left almost a year ago.

Skillern, an industry veteran with a background in global technology and technology manufacturing, joins AWS after a successful stint as the president of the Cloud, Enterprise and Communications business at Flex Ltd. She has also held senior leadership positions at Intel Corp., where she led the enterprise, cloud computing, artificial intelligence and data center infrastructure business. Her tenure at Intel was noteworthy for fostering a close partnership with AWS, a crucial customer for Intel.

Cloud analyst Dave Vellante commends Skillern’s appointment, pointing out her understanding of AWS and the chip and AI technology markets as significant assets. “Raejeanne will be a great leader at AWS at a time when they need to amplify their strategies to stand out in the increasingly loud AI market,” he said. “She understands AWS, the market, the technology, and is poised to hit the ground running.”

In her role at AWS, Skillern will spearhead marketing initiatives, with a focus on continuing to emphasize AWS’ leadership in cloud computing and increasing the promotion of its burgeoning AI platforms. As a key player in the Sales, Marketing and Global Services or SMGS leadership team, her strategy will emphasize customer-centric growth and the cultivation of a diverse, high-performing marketing team.

“We are excited to have her on board, and we are confident that her vast experience and expertise will significantly impact AWS,” said Matt Garman, AWS’ senior vice president of sales and marketing.

In her statement, Skillern expressed her enthusiasm for joining AWS. She underscored her commitment to customer relationships and technological innovation, citing her extensive career in supporting AWS’ growth.

Observers see Skillern’s appointment as a significant win for AWS. They say her leadership skills, industry experience and tech passion should bolster AWS’ competitive stance in the cloud services sector.

AWS’s hiring of Skillern highlights its commitment to diversifying its leadership. The move follows almost a yearlong vacancy for the CMO position and a series of high-profile executive shifts at AWS, signaling its determination to lead in marketing for the growing cloud computing and AI business.

An AWS spokesperson confirmed Skillern’s appointment and the internal memo. “I look forward to working with and learning from you as I ramp into the role,” Skillern said in her message to AWS employees.

Photo: Christian Purdie