Charlie Bell Calls It Quits After Over 23 Years at AWS, Joins Microsoft

Amazon cloud in-charge and S-Team member Charlie Bell is heading off to the Redmond-based giant, which is technically an AWS rival in cloud services. If negotiations go well, we could see Bell taking over security operations at Microsoft.

Amazon veteran of over 23 and a half years, Charlie BellOpens a new window on Wednesday confirmed that he is, in fact, joining Microsoft to head a newly formed engineering division. CNBC originally reported in AugustOpens a new window that Microsoft was onboarding Bell to catch up to Amazon in their cloud service race.

Bell, a senior vice president at AWS, the cash cow of the world’s largest online retailer, was in charge of the general management of AWS services. This included software development, product definition, service operations, pricing, financial performance. He served as a Space Shuttle interface engineer at NASA and a manager at Oracle before Amazon.

Bell was widely touted to replace Andy JassyOpens a new window as the AWS CEO once he took over his role at Amazon’s helm after founder Jeff Bezos. He was also a member of the S-Team at Amazon that formed the company’s broader strategy.

The AWS chief executive position eventually went to Adam SelipskyOpens a new window , who left his role as the head of data visualization solutions provider Tableau earlier this year. Before Tableau, Selipsky headed AWS’ marketing, sales, and support efforts as the VP for 11 years, a role equivalent to that of the chief operating officer.

As the new Microsoft EVP, Bell will be in charge of security, compliance, identity, and management. That is, if all goes well between both parties (himself and AWS/Amazon), which are currently engaged in negotiations. As CNBC pointed out, Amazon has legally gone after its former executives who join rival companies.

Considering Microsoft is hiring Bell for its much-needed security program, it is doubtful that there will be discord between Bell and his former employer.

See Also: Microsoft Product Boss Elevated to the Executive Leadership Team

We wouldn’t call security at Microsoft to be in shambles, but we also wouldn’t go so far as to rate it to be at the level that one would expect a company such as Microsoft to be at. The Redmond-based tech behemoth was targeted in the SolarWinds hack by APT 29, which exposed some source code repositories. Vulnerabilities in the company’s Exchange Server were also exploited by Chinese group HAFNIUM.

And if it isn’t being breached by nation-state hackers from adversary countries, the company is accidentally exposing tens of gigabytes of cloud data through cloud misconfigurations or is consistently issuing botched security updates for its flagship computer operating system, Windows.

Microsoft has made a string of cybersecurity purchases, including CloudKnox, RiskIQ, ReFirm Labs, CyberXOpens a new window in the last two years to plug the holes.

“We believe Charlie Bell’s new role can help advance cybersecurity for the country and the tech sector as a whole, and we are committed to continuing our constructive discussions with Amazon,” Microsoft’s corporate vice president for communications, Frank ShawOpens a new window , stated in an email to ZDNetOpens a new window . “We’re sensitive to the importance of working through these issues together, as we’ve done when five recent Microsoft executives moved across town to work for Amazon.”

Bell describes the present-day cybercriminal scenario as “digital medievalism.” His full post is given below: 

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