Adam Selipsky

Adam Selipsky is an American business executive best known for his leadership roles at Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Tableau Software. He served as the CEO of AWS from 2021 to 2024, succeeding Andy Jassy who became CEO of Amazon, and was previously the President and CEO of Tableau. Selipsky's career is marked by his deep involvement in the cloud computing and business intelligence industries, where he helped scale two of the sector's most influential companies.

Early life and education

Adam Selipsky was born around 1967 in New York City and grew up in Scarsdale, New York. He attended Harvard University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in government. Following his undergraduate studies, Selipsky pursued a Master of Business Administration from the prestigious Harvard Business School, graduating as a Baker Scholar, an honor awarded to the top five percent of the class. His academic foundation at these Ivy League institutions provided a strong base for his subsequent career in technology and management.

Career at Amazon Web Services

Selipsky joined Amazon in 2005, becoming one of the earliest executives at the then-nascent Amazon Web Services division. As Vice President of Marketing, Sales, and Support, he played a pivotal role in defining the commercial strategy and go-to-market functions for AWS during its formative years. He worked closely under Andy Jassy and was instrumental in establishing AWS's dominant position in the public cloud market, competing against rivals like Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud Platform. His tenure during this period helped shape the core services and customer-centric culture that propelled AWS to become a multi-billion dollar segment of Amazon.

Leadership at Tableau

In 2016, Selipsky left AWS to become the President and CEO of Tableau Software, a leading business intelligence and data visualization company based in Seattle. Under his leadership, Tableau accelerated its transition to a subscription-based business model and deepened its integration with major cloud platforms, including Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure. He guided the company through its acquisition by Salesforce in 2019 for approximately $15.7 billion, one of the largest deals in software history. Selipsky remained as CEO, overseeing Tableau's operations as a subsidiary within the Salesforce ecosystem until 2021.

Return to Amazon Web Services as CEO

In March 2021, Andy Jassy, then-CEO of AWS, was named to succeed Jeff Bezos as CEO of Amazon. Selipsky was subsequently recruited to return to AWS as its new CEO, a position he assumed in May 2021. His second tenure focused on maintaining AWS's market leadership amid intensifying competition from Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud, while steering the division through a period of significant growth and innovation in areas like artificial intelligence, machine learning, and hybrid cloud solutions. In June 2024, Amazon announced that Selipsky would be stepping down, with longtime AWS executive Matt Garman succeeding him as CEO.

Personal life

Adam Selipsky is married to Stacey Selipsky, and the couple has two children. They reside in the Seattle area. An avid outdoorsman, Selipsky is known to enjoy activities such as hiking and skiing. He has served on the board of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and is involved in various philanthropic and community initiatives in the Pacific Northwest.

Category:American chief executives Category:Harvard University alumni Category:Harvard Business School alumni Category:Amazon (company) people Category:Tableau Software