Prominent Tech Leaders Make Strategic Career Moves
In a significant leadership appointment, Expedia Group has named Xavier Amatriain as its first-ever chief artificial intelligence officer and data officer. Joining from Google where he served as vice president of product in AI and Compute Enablement, Amatriain brings extensive experience from companies like Quora, LinkedIn, and Netflix. His appointment represents Expedia’s commitment to reimagining travel experiences through advanced AI technologies. “Expedia Group operates at a scale few can match,” noted CTO Ramana Thumu, highlighting the company’s investment in top talent to push technological boundaries. Based in San Jose, Amatriain has traveled an unconventional career path that includes being a university professor in Spain, co-founding a healthcare startup, conducting research, and leading engineering teams – a diverse background that should serve him well in revolutionizing how people plan and experience travel.
Meanwhile, the tech leadership landscape continues to evolve as Kieran Snyder, co-founder and former CEO of Textio, has returned to Microsoft as vice president of AI transformation. “My goal in this new role is to help Microsoft be the best living case study of effective, human AI transformation in the world,” Snyder explained on LinkedIn. Her career journey has come full circle, having begun at Microsoft in 2004 working on Bing search and Windows before launching Textio in 2014. Her company pioneered AI applications in human resources, developing software that helps organizations build inclusive teams through improved recruitment and retention practices. Over the past two years, Snyder has been running her business called “nerd processor,” offering research and leadership coaching while maintaining ties to Textio as chief scientist emeritus and board member. Her return to Microsoft signals the company’s ongoing commitment to meaningful AI integration across its operations.
The business world is also witnessing other significant transitions, with Ross Tennenbaum departing his role as president of Avalara for an unnamed public company. Having joined the tax software giant in 2019, Tennenbaum previously served as CFO and brought valuable experience from his time at Goldman Sachs and Credit Suisse. His departure comes during an interesting period for Avalara, which relocated from Seattle to North Carolina following its acquisition by Vista Equity Partners in 2022 and has recently filed to go public again. In the telecommunications sector, Janice Kapner is leaving T-Mobile after more than 12 years, where she served as chief communications and corporate responsibility officer and executive VP, leading a team of over 160 employees. Reflecting on her tenure, Kapner shared fond memories: “From Magenta sneakers and confetti cannons to competitive stunts, big bets, and a front-line team that made the brand burst off the page and into the world — these are moments I’ll never forget.”
The intersection of tech talent and emerging companies continues to create fascinating career trajectories. Vinita Ananth, previously with Microsoft and Amazon, has joined cloud company Nebius as senior director of product. While this marks an exciting new chapter, Ananth described leaving her stealth-mode startups HelpViber and FulcrumAX as a “difficult and emotional” decision. She remains committed to these ventures in advisor and co-founder capacities as her co-founder drives them toward “customer traction, platform maturity, and meaningful funding milestones.” In the payments technology space, PayPal has appointed Bo English-Wiczling as VP of global developer relations. Based in Seattle, she joins from Oracle where she spent nearly nine years in leadership roles across database product management and developer relations. Her experience also includes positions at Amazon and Best Buy. English-Wiczling views this role as “working at the intersection of PayPal’s global payments platform and developer ecosystems” to build relationships that power future innovation.
Seattle’s vibrant tech ecosystem continues to see interesting movements, with Jaimin Gandhi joining AI roleplay startup Yoodli as a product leader. Gandhi’s impressive resume includes leadership roles at Nerdy, Binance, Uber, DocuSign, and Microsoft. Over the past year, he developed FourPoint.AI, a communication improvement tool for job seekers, which he’s now offering for free to help others find opportunities. In database technology, Kapil Hetamsaria has become chief business officer of Neo4j, a data analysis and graph intelligence platform, following his vice president role at C3 AI and experience as co-founder and CEO of Bellevue-based short-video platform Viddl App. Dave Rosenbaum is transitioning from Seattle-based pet sitting company Rover to join Airbnb, driven by his belief in “the transformative power of travel.” Beyond his corporate role, Rosenbaum serves as a deputy mayor and city council member for Mercer Island.
The broader business community is also experiencing leadership changes with community impact. Ambika Singh, founder and CEO of online clothing rental company Armoire, has joined the board of trustees for the Seattle Metro Chamber, bringing her entrepreneurial perspective to the organization. Pete Fewing, Seattle University’s associate athletic director and longtime Sounders FC broadcaster, has joined the board of directors for Starfire Sports. This organization plays a vital role in the community by providing coding classes, drone summer camps, and free after-school sports programming for underprivileged children in South Seattle. These appointments highlight how tech leaders are increasingly applying their expertise to community-focused initiatives, strengthening the connections between innovation, business success, and social impact in the greater Seattle region.
