Explained: Beth Galetti, Amazon HR Chief Who Announced Massive Job Cuts

Explained: Beth Galetti, Amazon HR Chief Who Announced Massive Job Cuts

Amazon to Cut 16,000 Corporate Jobs Worldwide in Fresh Round of Layoffs

Amazon has announced plans to eliminate around 16,000 corporate roles globally, marking its second major round of job cuts in recent months as the company pushes to simplify its structure and curb internal bureaucracy.

The decision was communicated to employees by Beth Galetti, Senior Vice President of People Experience and Technology, who oversees Amazon’s human resources operations and internal technology systems. In her note, Galetti said the layoffs are part of “additional organisational changes” aimed at flattening management layers, increasing accountability, and making teams move faster.

“This is about strengthening how we operate,” she wrote, adding that the company wants to reduce complexity and sharpen ownership across teams.

US-based employees affected by the move will be given 90 days to explore other roles within the company. Those who do not transition to new positions will receive severance packages and support, Amazon said.

Galetti joined Amazon in 2013 as a vice president in its HR division after nearly a decade at FedEx, where she held senior roles spanning technology and operations. Over the years, she has emerged as a key leader at Amazon, playing a central role in workforce planning, internal systems, and policies such as the company’s return-to-office mandate.

Her current portfolio covers HR services and technology platforms supporting more than a million Amazon employees worldwide. She has also been closely involved in workforce development initiatives across the company.

The latest layoffs come as Amazon continues to recalibrate its cost structure amid slowing growth in parts of its business and a broader push across the tech industry to prioritise efficiency. Earlier rounds of cuts had already affected several thousand employees across divisions.

Galetti holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Lehigh University and an MBA from Colorado Technical University. Outside Amazon, she serves as the board chair of PATH, a global health nonprofit, a role she has held since 2022.

While Amazon has not disclosed which teams will be most impacted this time, the company said the changes are necessary to remain competitive and focused in a rapidly evolving business environment.