Amazon confirmed on Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, that it is changing the leadership of its Alexa division. The move follows the company’s announcement on Thursday of its first tablet computers to feature the voice assistant.
Daniel Rausch, a vice president who has led the Alexa and Echo units for over three years, will leave the division next month. Amazon stated that Rausch, a 17-year veteran of the company, is scheduled to return to a different role within the devices and services division in 2027.
Aidan Marcuss, the current vice president of Fire TV, advertising, and the Amazon appstore, will replace Rausch. Marcuss joined Amazon from Microsoft in early 2025 and recently oversaw the launch of a new Fire TV stick. Kevin Keith, a vice president for product and marketing, will assume Marcuss's former responsibilities for the time being while maintaining his current role.
The leadership change follows the introduction of "Alexa+," a version of the assistant powered by generative artificial intelligence (AI) designed to handle longer prompts. Amazon reports that the Alexa division has consistently lost money since its 2014 debut. By appointing Marcuss, who has experience in the company’s advertising and appstore sectors, Amazon is shifting leadership as it integrates the AI service with new hardware.
The new Alexa+ service is included in the $139-per-year Prime membership or available as a standalone subscription for $20 per month. While previous Fire tablets were inexpensive, the new Alexa Tablets announced on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, are priced as high-end products.
Rausch is scheduled to depart the Alexa unit in November 2026, and his return to the devices division is scheduled for 2027. The company has not yet named a permanent successor for Marcuss's previous duties at Fire TV.