Who is Beth Galetti, the Amazon HR leader behind the company’s latest job cuts?
The official says the restructuring aims to reduce bureaucracy and management layers, while affected US staff receive 90 days to find new internal roles
US tech giant Amazon has announced another round of significant job cuts, with close to 16,000 positions set to be eliminated worldwide. It is the second major layoff the company has announced in a gap of a few months.
Also Read: Amazon cuts 16,000 jobs, to focus on generative AI
The announcement was shared with employees by Beth Galetti, Amazon’s senior vice president (SVP) of people experience and technology, a role that makes her a key player in the company’s human resources (HR) strategy and internal technology systems.
Who is Beth Galetti?
Galetti joined Amazon in 2013 as a vice president in the HR division. Prior to that, she spent more than eight years at FedEx Express, where she held senior positions across technology and operations.
Since 2013, she rose steadily through Amazon’s leadership ranks, eventually assuming responsibility for large-scale people operations and workforce technology. She is serving as the SVP of people experience and technology since April 2021.
In her note to the staff, Galetti said the layoffs are part of a new phase of organisational restructuring aimed at streamlining the company. She explained that the objective is to reduce management layers, minimise bureaucracy, and provide teams with clearer accountability.
Also Read: Amazon plans second round of layoffs as part of 30,000 job cuts
Galetti also oversees the systems and policies that support Amazon's more than a million employees globally. Her range of responsibilities includes key initiatives, such as workforce development programmes and the implementation of Amazon’s return-to-office plan.
Beyond Amazon
She holds a Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Lehigh University, and an MBA from Colorado Technical University, both in the US.
Galetti has also served as the board chair of the global health non-profit, PATH, since 2022 and finds herself attached to several community-oriented initiatives.
Based in Seattle, she lives with her husband and two daughters, balancing one of the most influential HR roles in corporate America.
90-day notice period
The latest move to slash jobs follows an earlier wave of layoffs just months ago and forms part of Amazon’s broader effort to simplify operations and reduce internal complexity.
US-based employees affected by the decision will be given 90 days to seek alternative roles within Amazon.
Also Read: Amazon fires staff via text message; 14,000 laid off overall
Those who do not transition into new positions will be offered severance packages and other support, the company said.
On Wednesday (January 28), Galetti said Amazon it was not planning to make "broad reductions every few months", referring to the reduction of 14,000 corporate job cuts last October, a BBC report said.
Amazon employs nearly 1.5 million people globally, with around 350,000 in corporate positions.