Kenneth Washington

Kenneth Washington is an American engineer and vice president of software engineering at Amazon and senior vice president and chief technology and innovation officer. At Amazon, Washington is responsible for new devices and services. He previously served as chief technology officer at Ford Motor Company. He was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 2024.

Early life and education Washington grew up in inner-city Chicago. As a child he was passionate about robotics and science and had a toy Erector Set. At the age of twelve, his father completed his own doctorate, and his family moved to Milwaukee. His father became a lecturer at Marquette University. After earning his doctorate, Washington joined Sandia National Laboratories. He moved to Lockheed Martin as Chief Technology Officer. He was made vice president of the Space Systems Advanced Technology Center and specialized in cybersecurity. In 2023 he was named Senior Vice President and Chief Technology and Innovation Officer at Medtronic.

Awards and honors 2012 Black Engineer of the Year Award in Research Leadership 2020 Elected to the National Academy of Engineering 2022 Texas A&M University College of Engineering Outstanding Alumnus 2023 Black Engineer of the Year