Amazon’s longtime robotics leader Brad Porter has left the company, according to a report from Business Insider.
Porter joined Amazon in 2007 and became a distinguished engineer in 2014, earning an exclusive title given to only a handful of employees. In 2017 he became VP of Amazon Robotics, managing the company’s robotic technology operations in its warehouses and with other high-tech projects.
He was in the news this year when he defended Amazon from criticism from a former vice president and distinguished engineer, Tim Bray, over the company’s firing of employee activists.
Business Insider reported that Porter will pursue a new opportunity, citing an email sent to staff by Dave Clark, Amazon’s SVP of worldwide operations. We’ve contacted Amazon for comment on the report.
Last year Amazon said there were 200,000 robots working at its distribution facilities around the world.