Amazon VP and Seattle’s Economic Development Get New Leadership

In a series of notable leadership changes across the tech and public sectors, Amazon’s Uwem Ukpong has been appointed to a new role as Vice President of AWS Industries. Ukpong, who previously served as Vice President of Global Services, brings over four years of experience at the tech giant to his new position. His extensive background includes a remarkable 22-year tenure at Schlumberger, a Houston-based software company with international operations, as well as experience at energy technology firm Baker Hughes. This move signals Amazon’s continued focus on strengthening its cloud service divisions with seasoned leadership as the company navigates an increasingly competitive cloud market.

Meanwhile, the City of Seattle’s Office of Economic Development is welcoming Alicia Teel as its acting director. Teel, who previously served as deputy director, steps into the role with a wealth of experience, including more than 15 years at the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce. In her statement about the appointment, Teel emphasized her team’s dedication to “leading projects and making investments that open up access to economic opportunities across our city, reduce the racial wealth gap, and encourage innovation and growth.” Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson acknowledged the contributions of outgoing director Markham McIntyre, thanking him for “his leadership supporting small business recovery after the pandemic.” McIntyre had served in the role for four years, previously holding executive leadership positions at the Chamber of Commerce.

The tech leadership landscape continues to evolve as Manik Gupta announced his departure as corporate Vice President of Microsoft Teams. Gupta, who joined Microsoft in 2021 and is based in California, reflected on his experience, saying, “With Teams, I had the opportunity to combine my consumer DNA with learning the scale and complexity of the enterprise.” Looking ahead, Gupta expressed interest in exploring AI-related career options, noting his conviction that “the hardest and most interesting work in AI now lies in turning powerful models into products people can rely on every day.” His departure comes at a time when Microsoft is heavily investing in AI integration across its product suite, including Teams.

In the energy sector, ESS, an Oregon-based company specializing in long-duration energy storage, has appointed Drew Buckley as its new CEO. Buckley, who joined the battery company in August leading investor relations and capital market strategy, brings 17 years of experience as a technology-focused partner at William Blair. ESS Board Chairman Harry Quarls expressed confidence in the appointment, citing Buckley’s “incredible track record of success, with the experience and industry relationships necessary to lead ESS to its next stage.” The company also promoted Kate Suhadolnik from interim CFO to permanent Chief Financial Officer, while former interim CEO Kelly Goodman has transitioned to the role of Chief Strategy Officer and General Counsel. These leadership changes come as ESS prepares for the manufacturing and delivery of its first Energy Base projects, with broader commercialization expected to commence this year.

The fusion energy sector is also seeing leadership shifts, with Savanna Thompson taking on the role of Chief Business Operations Officer at Helion Energy after serving as VP of People & Workplace Operations for over three years. Helion CEO David Kirtley emphasized the strategic importance of this promotion, stating, “As we move from building fusion machines to deploying fusion power plants, this role reflects the importance of scaling our teams, systems, and infrastructure that support our ambitious goals.” Thompson joined Helion from Seattle telehealth company 98point6, bringing valuable experience in organizational scaling. In another notable return, Jackie Ostlie has rejoined Microsoft as Director of AI Initiatives in Microsoft Learning after a leadership stint at Google Cloud Learning, expressing gratitude to Rachel Richardson for the opportunity to work again with “some of the world’s smartest, kindest, most supportive humans in tech.”

The AI startup scene continues to attract talent, with Seattle-based roleplay startup Yoodli appointing two new leaders following a $40 million investment. Emma Day joins as Principal Recruiter from Seattle-based tech hiring platform Karat, citing Yoodli’s “rare and beautiful combination of an incredible mission — to help people communicate with confidence, a world-class team and a TON of growth ahead.” Grayson Hay takes on the role of Principal Software Engineer, leveraging experience from CodeSee, Tableau Software, and Microsoft. Additional leadership moves include Hazen Baron joining cryptocurrency company Coinme as General Counsel as the company resumes operations in Washington state following a regulatory agreement, and Jason Cavness, a Seattle-based market development partner for TechBank, becoming a fellow with Vietnam-based Earth Venture Capital. The Microsoft Alumni Network, representing over 290,000 former employees, has expanded its board with eight new trustees including veterans from various global divisions, while longtime Xbox leader Larry Hryb was named vice chair of the board, further strengthening the network’s leadership team.