Colleen Aubrey: Senior Vice President, AWS Solutions at Amazon Web Services
In the fast-paced world of technology and business leadership, few names stand out as much as Colleen Aubrey. From her roots in Australia to her rise as one of the most influential executives at Amazon, she has carved a reputation as a builder, strategist, and visionary leader. Currently serving as Senior Vice President of AWS Solutions at Amazon Web Services (AWS), Aubrey is responsible for guiding business applications and applied AI solutions that shape the future of enterprise operations worldwide.
This article explores her professional journey, educational background, leadership style, and lasting impact on both Amazon and the broader tech ecosystem.
Early Life and Education
Academic Foundations
Colleen Aubrey’s career rests on a solid academic background. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Applied Science – Health Sciences from the University of Canberra in 1995, where she focused on community development. Always drawn to understanding people and systems, she then pursued postgraduate studies at the Sydney Institute of Technology, earning a Graduate Certificate in Human Resources in 2000.
To strengthen her leadership and management capabilities, Aubrey enrolled at the Macquarie Graduate School of Management in Sydney, where she completed her MBA in General Management and Strategy in 2004. This combination of health sciences, human resources, and strategic management provided her with a unique perspective that she carried into her career in business and technology.
Early Career Beginnings
CareerOne at News Interactive
Her professional journey began at CareerOne, News Interactive in May 2001. Over the course of four years, she worked as Business Manager, leading the employment website careerone.com.au. She held responsibility for product development, sales, customer service, editorial direction, and overall profitability. This role was instrumental in sharpening her skills in business operations and digital platforms, laying the foundation for her future at Amazon.
Joining Amazon
Entering Amazon Europe
In 2005, Colleen Aubrey joined Amazon as Sales Manager, SME Solutions. Based in Europe, she oversaw the UK and French small and medium enterprise sales teams. Her responsibilities included strategy development, recruitment, coaching, and driving the growth of Amazon’s Marketplace business across departments.
Moving Into Business Development
By 2007, she advanced to Senior Manager – Business Development, where she was responsible for business growth across Amazon’s third-party programs. This period demonstrated her ability to not only manage teams but also create strategies for scaling Amazon’s global reach.
Climbing the Amazon Ladder
Senior Manager, Amazon Product Ads (2008–2012)
Aubrey transitioned into advertising in 2008 as Senior Manager of Amazon Product Ads. Over four years, she shaped the marketing, operations, and account management functions while developing a strong product vision.
Director Roles (2012–2016)
Her rise continued as Director of Amazon Product Ads in 2012, expanding her influence over sales, marketing, and software development. From 2013 to 2016, she became Director of Worldwide Marketing, Advertising, leading global teams and managing demand generation for a growing portfolio of advertising products.
Vice President of Self-Service Advertising Products (2016–2021)
In April 2016, Colleen Aubrey was promoted to Vice President of Self-Service Performance Advertising Products. Over five years, she built world-class advertising programs such as Sponsored Products and Sponsored Brands. These tools enabled thousands of sellers and authors to reach millions of Amazon customers, establishing Amazon as a serious player in the digital advertising landscape.
Senior Vice President, Advertising Products and Technology (2021–2024)
In July 2021, she reached the role of Senior Vice President of Advertising Products and Technology. Here, she directed engineering, product, and data science teams to expand Amazon’s advertising capabilities globally. Under her leadership, products like Sponsored Display and DSP evolved, helping brands of all sizes invest in digital campaigns directly on Amazon’s platform.
Her achievements during this period placed her among Amazon’s most trusted leaders and a member of the company’s elite S-Team, a small circle of executives reporting directly to the CEO.
Transition to AWS
Senior Vice President, AWS Solutions (2024–Present)
In May 2024, Colleen Aubrey took on a new challenge: Senior Vice President of AWS Solutions. In this role, she leads Amazon’s push into business applications powered by applied AI solutions. The ambition is clear: to make AWS not just a cloud infrastructure provider but also a leader in enterprise applications used by millions of businesses worldwide.
Her current responsibilities include:
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Building scalable AI-driven solutions for business operations.
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Leveraging Amazon’s decades of operational expertise to create software for supply chain, customer engagement, and productivity.
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Ensuring AWS Solutions integrates seamlessly into global enterprises.
This transition demonstrates her ability to move beyond advertising into a broader technology and solutions leadership role.
Leadership Style and Vision
Focus on Real-World Problems
Colleen Aubrey is known for her pragmatic leadership style. Rather than chasing hype, she emphasizes using technology to solve real-world business problems. This approach aligns closely with Amazon’s customer-obsession philosophy.
Global Impact
From her early work in Australia and Europe to her leadership in Seattle, Aubrey has consistently operated on a global scale. She has led cross-continental teams and managed products deployed in multiple countries.
Inspiring Women in Tech
As one of the most senior women leaders at Amazon, she also serves as an inspiration to women in technology and leadership. Her career demonstrates that persistence, expertise, and vision can break barriers in a traditionally male-dominated industry.
Personal Background
While Colleen Aubrey’s career achievements are widely documented, she is very private about her personal life.
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Age: As of 2025, she is 52 years old.
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Family: There are no verified public details regarding her husband or parents.
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Origin: She was born and raised in Canberra, Australia, before moving abroad to pursue her career.
Her preference for privacy reflects her focus on professional impact rather than public exposure.
Key Achievements
Advertising Innovation
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Built Amazon’s self-service advertising programs (Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands).
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Helped transform Amazon into one of the fastest-growing digital advertising companies in the world.
Business Growth
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Guided advertising platforms to become multibillion-dollar businesses.
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Scaled global teams of engineers, data scientists, and marketers.
AWS Leadership
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Transitioned successfully from advertising to AWS.
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Now leads the effort to establish AWS Solutions as a leader in applied AI for enterprises.
Legacy and Future Outlook
Colleen Aubrey’s career illustrates the power of strategic vision and adaptability. She mastered the advertising domain, shaped Amazon’s marketplace for sellers, and is now steering AWS toward becoming a solutions powerhouse.
Her legacy will likely be tied to two milestones:
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Transforming Amazon Advertising into a global success story.
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Positioning AWS Solutions as the future of enterprise business applications.
Looking forward, her impact on applied AI solutions may redefine how companies around the world manage daily operations.
Conclusion
Colleen Aubrey’s journey from Canberra to Seattle, from CareerOne to Amazon’s S-Team, and now to the forefront of AWS, is a story of determination, expertise, and leadership. At 52, she continues to influence the direction of Amazon Web Services and the global tech industry at large.
Her professional life is an example of what is possible when talent meets opportunity, and her career will remain a reference point for aspiring leaders in technology and business.
