Expedia Group has brought on Bill Watkins to serve as senior vice president and general manager of global advertising within its marketing division. In this newly filled position, Watkins will work to connect external advertisers with consumers who are planning travel across Expedia’s network of websites.

According to Jochen Koedijk, who leads marketing at Expedia, Watkins and his team will forge closer connections between advertisers and the company’s marketing capabilities, audience insights, and loyalty programs to provide more effective and measurable advertising solutions.

Watkins arrives from Pinterest, where he worked for 12 years, most recently holding the position of chief revenue officer. He is based in Chicago.

Johannes Gehrke, who holds the position of technical fellow in AI infrastructure at Microsoft, is departing the company after a 14-year tenure to take a position with Uber. Gehrke recalled that before joining Microsoft, he interviewed with Satya Nadella, who now leads the company as CEO. What Gehrke initially envisioned as a two-year break from his role at Cornell University transformed into what he described as a defining period of his professional life.

While leaving Microsoft is bittersweet, Gehrke expressed enthusiasm about his new role as a technical fellow at the transportation company. He cited the unique opportunity to apply AI technology to a global platform that already impacts daily life on a massive scale as a key factor in his decision to join Uber.

During his time at Microsoft, Gehrke initially worked on Office Graph, a platform that has since evolved to support AI tools throughout Microsoft 365. His contributions also included integrating AI into Teams, leading Microsoft Research Redmond, and most recently focusing on the company’s CoreAI division, which develops Copilot and other AI technologies.

Tracy Galloway, who serves as chief operating officer for Microsoft Americas, is stepping away from the company after a decade of service. She initially joined as regional vice president of commercial business for the Great Lakes region and previously spent more than 16 years with HP.

In a LinkedIn message, Galloway expressed gratitude to colleagues and partners who entrusted her with significant challenges and supported her through periods of growth, change, and transformation. Based in Breckenridge, Colorado, she plans to dedicate more time to family while pursuing interests including travel, golf, and boating.

Val Miftakhov, who founded and led sustainable aviation company ZeroAvia, has stepped down from his CEO position to explore new opportunities, according to company statements. He will continue serving on the company’s board of directors.

Miftakhov established ZeroAvia more than eight years ago in
California, though the company’s operations appear to have
increasingly concentrated in the United Kingdom and at its research, development, and manufacturing facilities in Everett, Washington. Aviation industry publications have documented several rounds of workforce reductions beginning last year, and reports indicate that its Q400 test facility in Everett has closed.

Christine Ourmieres-Widener, the board’s executive chair, has been managing daily operations in recent months and will continue doing so until a permanent CEO is selected. The board expressed appreciation for Miftakhov’s leadership and noted their gratitude for his continued involvement as a board member.

After more than 23 years with Amazon, Robin Sweers has left her position as senior program manager for device advertising to enter what she calls “retired-ish” status. Throughout her Amazon career, Sweers also contributed to teams within the Amazon AppStore and began her journey at the Seattle technology company as a college technical recruiter.

Sweers expressed gratitude for her experiences, the lessons learned, and the relationships formed during her tenure. While uncertain about her next steps, she shared her excitement about determining her future direction.

Portal Space Systems, a space and defense manufacturing company located in Bothell, Washington, has appointed Amy Miller as its inaugural head of Talent & People Operations. Miller previously worked as recruiting manager for Amazon’s Leo satellite business and has also held positions at Google and Meta.

The company highlighted Miller’s more than 20 years of experience building technical and manufacturing teams across aerospace, AI, advanced manufacturing, and large-scale technology organizations. Portal also noted her reputation on LinkedIn as one of the most transparent, direct, and genuinely human voices in the recruiting field.