Tech Moves: Xbox CTO Names; Smartsheet gets first AI chief; Amazon VP moves to DoorDash
– Microsoft Xbox is promoted Scott Van Vliet in the role of chief technology officer. Van Vliet, who is based in the Los Angeles area, has been with the company twice for more than seven years, with work in Teams and Azure Communication Services.
“I’ve been a gamer all my life and an Xbox fan since day one, so this is a rare opportunity to combine two things I care deeply about: building platforms and games,” Van Vliet said on LinkedIn.
The leadership change comes three months after Asha Sharma took over as CEO of Xbox – a move that surprised some given her limited background in the video game industry. Van Vliet’s appointment adds to the gaming experience at Xbox’s highest levels.
Since Sharma took over, Microsoft has canceled its AI-powered Copilot assistant for Xbox and added four executives to CoreAI, the company’s engineering group where he previously worked.
– Drew Garner promoted to the newly created position of AI chief at SmartsheetBellevue, Wash., business software company best known for helping businesses plan and track work. The announcement is the latest C-suite shakeup for the company.
Garner said on LinkedIn that his mission has not changed, using “AI that leads people doing real work.”
Garner became Smartsheet’s vice president of engineering in November, shortly after Rajeev “Raj” Singh took over as CEO. The two have significant overlap in their startups as well, with Garner rising to the role of CTO at Accolade during Singh’s tenure as the healthcare platform leader. And Garner was an executive at Concur, the Bellevue-based travel expenses giant founded by Singh.
– After fifteen years Amazon, Tim Castree left to become chief marketing officer at DoorDash. While the food delivery and retail platform is already a big undertaking, “there is still real business potential fueling the company, and I liked the idea of joining a business where a lot of growth is still ahead of us,” he said on LinkedIn.
Castree, who is based in Ohio, was most recently VP of EU Prime and Marketing at Amazon, overseeing product, operations and advertising growth in more than 15 European markets.
– Stephen Betz he goes too Amazon after more than 18 years with the company between two divisions. He served as director of software and product engineering for Last Mile Tech, most recently focusing on driver assistance and safety technologies, including the software that powers Amazon’s Rivian EVs. Betz is based in Santa Cruz, Calif.
“What’s next? I’m going to take a very long break, maybe forever, and look for ways to bounce back from these unprecedented times of change,” he said on LinkedIn.
Betz has also held roles at Microsoft, Google, Groupon and Netflix.
– Bryan Sherman you join Amazon director of Global Partner Development, specializing in Amazon Ads. Sherman works in Amazon’s New York office and was previously with Monks, a London-based advertising agency.
– Seattle Children you chose Katerie Chapman as senior VP and chief operating officer. Chapman spent 23 years at Virginia Mason Medical Center, rising from director of administration to president of the Seattle health organization, before joining Kaufman Hall as executive director. He comes to Seattle Children’s from that role.
“(Chapman’s) deep roots in the healthcare community and his proven track record in leading high-performing teams make him the right person to lead our operations as we continue to grow and innovate for the patients and families we serve,” said Dr. Christopher Longhurst, CEO of Seattle Children’s.
– Three professors from the University of Washington have been selected to participate American Academy of Arts and Sciences in honor of their leadership in work that supports research, public policy and the common good.
- Magdalena Balazinskadirector of the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering, was selected for his work in data management and data science and his leadership in the field.
- Shwetak Patel of the Allen School and Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering was chosen for his work in ubiquitous computing, human-computer interaction and sensor-enabled systems.
- Daniel Schindler of the School of Marine and Fisheries Sciences was selected for his research on the effects of climate change, urbanization and land use on freshwater ecosystems.
– Pacific Northwest National Laboratory announced two promotions to the senior research leadership team:
- Douglas Manns he is now the director of the joint laboratory of PNNL’s scientific instrument areas, which includes physical, computational, Earth and biological sciences.
- Daniel Stephens he was appointed director of the laboratory of the National Security Division of PNNL.
– Dr. Toshio Tsukiyamaprofessor and director of This is Fred Hutch’s place The Basic Sciences Division, has received the David and Deborah Lycette Endowed Chair in Cancer Research. Tsukiyama, who has been with Fred Hutch for nearly three decades, studies the workings of cells in pursuit of new strategies to target cancer cells for new therapies.
– Michael Wagonerfounder and former CEO of Corumatsustainable packaging startup based in Yakima, Wash., has a new role following the company’s recent closure. Wagoner joined Simplexity Product Developmentrobotics engineering company, as a senior design engineer.
