Amazon executive behind Echo voice assistant speaker and Fire tablets is leaving

A key executive responsible for developing some of Amazon's most recognisable gadgets, including the Echo smart speaker and Fire tablets, is leaving the company at the end of October, a report has said.

Lindo St. Angel, vice president of hardware for Amazon’s devices division, Lab126, plans to depart next week.

Amazon confirmed the executive’s exit, making him the second high-level departure from the devices division this month.“We are grateful for his many contributions to Amazon and wish him the best,” an Amazon spokesperson said in an emailed statement, without offering further details on the circumstances of St.

Angel’s departure, news agency Reuters reported. His last day will be October 31.

Second high-level departure this month

St. Angel is a 15-year veteran of the devices division who helped oversee development across a diverse lineup, including the Astro robot, Echo speakers and Fire tablets. His departure follows that of Rob Williams, who held the position of vice president of device software and services. He left post earlier in October and has been a member of the elite internal group advising CEO Andy Jassy.

He will remain with the company in an advisory role through the end of the year to assist devices chief Panos Panay. The company recently showcased its latest lineup of devices, including refreshed Echo speakers, Fire TV streaming devices, Kindle readers and Ring cameras.The executive exits come as Amazon’s devices and services unit works to reverse years of unprofitability. The division has already undergone significant layoffs and product line cuts. The unit is currently overhauling its Fire tablet computers to use Android operating software for the first time in an effort to broaden their appeal. However, a major, multi-year project to embed generative AI into the Alexa voice assistant has rolled out slowly and still lacks a clear path to profitability.