On October 13, 2025, Business Insider reported a significant development within Amazon Web Services (AWS): the company has appointed Chet Kapoor, formerly the Chief Executive Officer of DataStax, as its new Vice President of Security Services and Observability. This announcement, which came through an internal communication later obtained by Business Insider, signifies a deliberate and strategic effort by AWS to reinforce its focus on both the security infrastructure of its cloud ecosystem and the sophisticated observability mechanisms that underpin it.
Kapoor’s new role places him directly under the leadership of AWS’s Chief Executive Officer, Matt Garman, who personally introduced the appointment in a companywide email shared on Monday. In this communication, Garman emphasized that Kapoor would not only oversee the critical domains of security and observability but would also collaborate closely with Amy Herzog, the company’s Chief Information Security Officer. An AWS spokesperson has since verified this leadership update, confirming the internal alignment around Kapoor’s expanded remit.
According to Garman’s memo, Kapoor’s primary mandate involves leading initiatives that enhance AWS’s already robust security portfolio, particularly as the cloud giant accelerates its expansion into artificial intelligence (AI) services. The decision to hire Kapoor underscores AWS’s broader intent to fortify trust, resilience, and data protection in a time when AI-driven technologies introduce both transformative opportunities and new layers of complexity in cybersecurity.
Before joining AWS, Kapoor made an indelible mark at DataStax, where he was responsible for overseeing Astra DB, an innovative database platform built atop the open-source Apache Cassandra project. Under his leadership, Astra DB evolved into a cornerstone for modern, distributed applications and was integrated with real-time AI functionalities, effectively bridging high-performing database systems with intelligent automation. This blending of data scalability and AI insight demonstrated Kapoor’s deep technical acumen and forward-thinking approach—qualities that AWS now aims to harness within its own frameworks.
Garman’s message also highlighted that Kapoor’s arrival forms part of a larger pattern of leadership evolution within AWS’s AI division. Over the past year, the company experienced several high-profile transitions, with departures including Matt Wood, former Vice President of AI, and Vasi Philomin, Vice President of Generative AI. In parallel, AWS has welcomed new leaders such as Julie White, a former Microsoft executive who now serves as Chief Marketing Officer, signaling a period of reinvention and revitalization in the company’s leadership ranks.
In Garman’s detailed note to employees, he stressed that outstanding security and operational excellence in the cloud are of paramount importance to every AWS customer. He observed that as clients’ cloud environments continue to grow more complex, the demand for exceptional external security and observability services escalates in tandem. Artificial intelligence, he noted, is fundamentally transforming the boundaries of what is possible in both fields, demanding renewed innovation and strategic foresight. To steer AWS into this next phase of rapid product evolution, Kapoor will lead a team that includes senior figures such as Gee Rittenhouse, Nandini Ramani, Georgia Sitaras, and Brad Marshall—all of whom will now report directly to him. Garman additionally expressed appreciation for Kurt Kufeld, who had previously guided this division and will soon transition to a new leadership challenge elsewhere within Amazon, recognizing his decade-long contribution to AWS’s operational rigor.
Chet Kapoor’s career reflects a consistent pattern of leadership at the nexus of enterprise technology, AI, and cloud infrastructure. Beyond his achievements at DataStax, he previously served as the CEO of Apigee, where he transformed a promising API management platform into an industry leader before its acquisition by Google in 2016. Earlier in his career, he held senior executive positions at respected technology institutions including IBM and BEA Systems, roles that provided him with a profound understanding of global enterprise operations and scalable platform architectures.
Garman described Kapoor as a leader with an unwavering commitment to customers, a mindset characterized by curiosity, accountability, and innovation. Bringing his extensive experience in AI, governance, and platform services, Kapoor is expected to drive AWS’s strategic objectives in the overlapping domains of cybersecurity, cloud operations, and observability analytics. His appointment symbolizes AWS’s confidence in both his technical expertise and his ability to cultivate stronger alignment between product strategy and customer needs.
As AWS continues to innovate at the intersection of cloud infrastructure and artificial intelligence, Kapoor’s leadership will likely influence how the company conceptualizes and delivers security solutions to enterprises across industries. Garman concluded his announcement with an invitation for all employees to warmly welcome Chet Kapoor to his new role, marking the beginning of what AWS envisions as a new chapter in its pursuit of resilient, intelligent, and transparent cloud operations.
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Sourse: https://www.businessinsider.com/aws-strengthens-ai-security-with-datastax-ceo-as-new-vp-2025-10
