Stéphane Israël is a seasoned executive with extensive experience in European technology and will join the company in October to serve as managing director of the AWS European Sovereign Cloud and drive the company's global digital sovereignty efforts.  
 
Israel brings a wealth of experience to this crucial role, having most recently served as a partner at Boston Consulting Group. Prior to that, he was the CEO of Arianespace, Europe's leading satellite launch company and a launch provider for Amazon’s Project Kuiper, where he oversaw numerous successful space missions, including the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope, and fostered strong relationships with both public and private sector stakeholders across Europe and beyond. In his new role, Stéphane will be responsible for the management and operations of the AWS European Sovereign Cloud, including infrastructure, technology, services, and sales, as well as leading AWS's global digital sovereignty efforts. 
 
He will be primarily located in Berlin and will work alongside Kathrin Renz, Vice President of AWS Industries, who was appointed as a first managing director of the AWS European Sovereign Cloud in June and will act as a source of expertise on sovereignty-related aspects of operations. Both leaders will be required to act in the interests of the newly created GmbH legal entity. 
 
"I am excited to join AWS at a pivotal moment for digital sovereignty in Europe and around the world," said Stéphane Israël. "AWS offers the most comprehensive and adopted cloud, and the AWS European Sovereign Cloud represents a deep investment in making the latest cloud solutions available to customers, while meeting Europe’s sovereignty needs and boosting digital capabilities across the continent. I can't wait to get started and build on the momentum for this critical initiative."  
 
The appointment underscores AWS's dedication to assembling a world-class leadership team for the European Sovereign Cloud. Stéphane Israël's extensive background in European technology business development, coupled with his experience meeting the sovereignty needs of customers and regulators across Europe, will be invaluable as AWS continues to expand its presence and impact in the region.  
 
"Stéphane's deep understanding of European technological priorities and his track record in driving innovation align perfectly with our mission for the AWS European Sovereign Cloud," said Kathrin Renz, Vice President of AWS Industries. "His expertise will be crucial as we work to provide European customers with our world-class digital sovereignty capabilities while enabling them to harness the full power of AWS."  
 
The AWS European Sovereign Cloud, backed by a €7.8 billion investment and set to launch at the end of 2025, is designed to meet stringent regulatory, data residency, and operational needs. The AWS European Sovereign Cloud will be the only fully featured, independently operated sovereign cloud backed by strong technical controls, sovereign assurances, and legal protections designed to meet the needs of European governments and enterprises. Customers and partners using the AWS European Sovereign Cloud will benefit from the full power of AWS, including the same service portfolio, security, availability, performance, familiar architecture, APIs, and innovations such as the AWS Nitro System.  
 
For more information about the AWS European Sovereign Cloud, visit aws.eu