Big tech is rarely quiet, but when the person holding the keys to the physical world’s largest computing engine walks out the door, people notice. Honestly, it’s a bit of a shocker. Kevin Miller, the Vice President of Global Data Centers for Amazon Web Services (AWS), has officially called it quits after a massive 17-year run.
He didn't just manage servers; he was the architect of the "where" and "how" for the world's most dominant cloud provider.
You’ve probably seen the headlines. Some say it’s just a natural transition. Others whisper about the intense pressure of the AI arms race. But if you look at the timing, it’s clear that Miller’s exit marks the end of an era and the beginning of a much more expensive, much more volatile chapter for Amazon.
Why Kevin Miller’s Exit Hits Different
Miller wasn't some outside hire brought in to "optimize" spreadsheets. He was homegrown talent. He started as a software development manager back in 2008—roughly the same time the Kindle first launched.
Before he was the AWS global data center VP, he spent years running S3 (Simple Storage Service). If you use the internet, you use S3. It’s the backbone of everything from Netflix streams to your favorite apps. Moving from software to the gritty world of real estate, power grids, and cooling systems made him a rare hybrid executive.
He announced his departure on LinkedIn, sounding nostalgic but ready to "write a new chapter." That’s corporate speak for "I’m done with the 80-hour weeks." And frankly, who could blame him?
The job changed. It’s no longer just about building cold rooms for racks; it’s about securing gigawatts of power in a world that’s running out of it.
The Massive Shoes Left to Fill
When an AWS global data center VP departs, it’s not just one person leaving; it’s a massive brain drain of institutional knowledge. Miller oversaw:
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- Global data center design and engineering.
- Land acquisition and "site selection" (basically playing SimCity with billions of dollars).
- The energy portfolio and sustainability (trying to make massive power consumption look green).
- Supply chain for custom hardware like Trainium and Inferentia.
Think about the scale here. AWS is currently pledging to spend upwards of $100 billion in 2025 alone. They are dropping $15 billion in Indiana, $13 billion in Australia, and billions more in places like Ohio and Pennsylvania.
Navigating the local politics, power grid constraints, and environmental regulations for those builds is a nightmare. Miller was the guy making sure those gears turned without grinding to a halt.
Is This About the AI Pressure Cooker?
Let's be real for a second. The cloud industry is currently in a state of "AI panic."
Every single hyperscaler—Google, Microsoft, and AWS—is racing to build "AI Factories." These aren't your standard data centers. They require liquid cooling, massive power densities, and specialized networking that would have seemed like sci-fi five years ago.
Earlier in 2025, Miller was on record talking about how AWS was pivoting to support "very large clusters of GPUs." That transition is hard. It’s expensive. And it’s constant.
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We’ve seen a string of departures from AWS lately. First, it was Chris Vonderhaar (the previous data center VP) who jumped ship to Google Cloud in 2023. Then we saw high-level AI VPs like Karthik Ramakrishnan leave in late 2025.
It feels like the "Old Guard" of AWS—the people who built the original cloud—might be burnt out by the sheer velocity of the Generative AI pivot.
The Regulatory Headache
It’s not just about the tech. The person in Miller's seat has to deal with the fact that communities are starting to hate data centers.
In Northern Virginia and beyond, residents are fighting new builds because of noise and power consumption. AWS is trying to fix this by exploring small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) and massive water-recycling programs. Miller was the face of those initiatives. Whoever takes over isn't just a tech exec; they’re a diplomat.
What Happens to AWS Now?
Amazon hasn't named a permanent successor yet. For now, the weight falls on Prasad Kalyanaraman, the VP of Infrastructure Services. Prasad is a veteran, but he’s already overseeing networking and supply chain. He’s spread thin.
Expect AWS to do one of two things:
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- Promote from within: They have a deep bench of "Directors of Data Center Operations" who have been in the trenches for a decade.
- Poach a "Physical World" expert: They might look at someone from the energy sector or a specialized construction giant like Bechtel or AECOM.
Basically, the next leader won't be a software person. They'll be someone who knows how to talk to utility companies and government regulators.
Actionable Insights for the Industry
If you're an investor, a competitor, or a customer, this departure should tell you three things:
- Infrastructure is the new bottleneck. It doesn't matter how good your AI model is if you don't have the physical space to run it. The leadership churn at the VP level suggests that scaling is becoming exponentially harder.
- The "Build" phase is getting more aggressive. Even with a leadership change, AWS isn't slowing down. They are doubling down on capital expenditures. If you are in the data center supply chain (cooling, power, chips), the money is still flowing.
- Watch the "Google-fication" of AWS talent. Keep a close eye on where Miller lands. If he follows Vonderhaar to Google Cloud or joins a well-funded startup like Anthropic, it's a sign that the talent war has moved from the software layer to the physical layer.
Honestly, it’s a wild time to be in the cloud business. Miller's 17 years at Amazon is a lifetime in tech years. He’s seen the company grow from a scrappy online bookstore's side project into the literal infrastructure of the modern world.
His exit isn't a sign that AWS is failing—not by a long shot—but it is a signal that the job of building the internet has become a lot more complicated than it used to be.
If you’re tracking these moves, keep an eye on the next earnings call. The way Andy Jassy talks about "infrastructure efficiency" will likely be a direct reflection of how they plan to fill the void Miller left behind.
Next Step: You might want to look into how AWS is currently diversifying its energy portfolio with nuclear power to see the specific projects Miller was overseeing before his exit.