Amazon names Aidan Marcuss Alexa chief to revive voice assistant

Amazon named Aidan Marcuss to lead Alexa and Echo next month, succeeding Daniel Rausch. Rausch, a 17-year Amazon veteran who has run the unit for more than three years, is expected to take another post in Devices and Services in 2027. Marcuss now oversees Fire TV, advertising and the Amazon Appstore after joining from Microsoft in early 2025; he recently oversaw a new Fire TV Stick. Kevin Keith will keep his product and marketing role while temporarily absorbing Marcuss's current portfolio. The shift follows the launch of new premium Alexa tablets with Alexa+, a generative AI service sold through Prime or as a separate monthly subscription. One report lists Alexa+ at $139 a year or $20 a month and states Alexa has struggled to make money since 2014. Amazon is using the leadership change and the paid Alexa+ rollout to address that long-running shortfall.