Ravi Reddy takes lessons from the Army to steer Amazon Web Services’ Early Careers Program
Navigating through successful missions and serving the nation for years, military veterans often explore different career paths and career pivots bringing their unique experience to the table. At Amazon, hundreds of veterans are driving innovation and raising the bar on the customer experience. Armed with invaluable experiences, they apply their knowledge, skills, and leadership abilities in a wide variety of roles. With a strong structure and dedicated program for Military Veterans, Amazon India welcomes them and helps them smoothly transition to a career in the corporate world.
With over 22 years of combat and technical experience in the Indian Army, Ravi Reddy retired and transitioned into the innovative environment of Amazon Web Services (AWS) in the year 2020. In his army tenure, he was a specialist in the Armament Technology of Artillery & Air Defense Systems and the Main Battle Tanks, and held various appointments across different geographic terrains, including high altitude areas of Siachen and East Sikkim, North-eastern region, Western borders of Rajasthan and Punjab and many more.
In his current role at Amazon, Ravi leads the Early Careers Program for AWS Commercial Sales in India, where he helps talent from top B-schools pursue a career in Sales and Strategy in the organization. He credits his success to his learnings and experiences in the army as well as the support he receives from the Amazon India team.
In his own words, Ravi explains, “Pursuing a career in sales is not common for military veterans. It was indeed an unexpected career choice for me, who had been with the armed forces for more than 2 decades. I was quite hesitant of making this transition however, the support from the AWS team and leaders was commendable and I find it to be a truly inclusive and diversity-oriented organization.”
He further adds, “Amazon’s peculiar culture and emphasis on innovation and experimentation provided me the unique opportunity to work both in an Individual Contribution role, where I worked on some of the strategic projects for AWS India, and in a people leadership role, where I am leading, coaching & investing in development of a team of top talent from the B-schools of the country. These opportunities signify that leaders at Amazon have a far greater appetite to take bets on Military Veterans. While in the army, I learned how to face new challenges every day and find ways to serve my country, at Amazon, we are constantly innovating on behalf of our customers by finding solutions to serve them better. My constant focus on raising the bar of excellence is what keeps me motivated to perform better every day.”
Outside of work, Ravi enjoys spending time with his family and friends. He continues to follow his fitness regime which includes running, cycling, and an occasional game of basketball.
Amazon India launched its Military Program in 2019. The programme creates work opportunities for military veterans and their families. Veterans of the Armed Forces are a priceless asset to any organisation, bringing a wealth of knowledge and a wide range of skills. Amazon India partnered with the office of the Director General of Resettlement (DGR), Indian Naval Placement Agency (INPA), Indian Air Force Placement Agency (IAFPA), and Army Welfare Placement Organisation (AWPO) to ensure those leaving military service were aware of the plethora of job opportunities at Amazon throughout the country. At Amazon India, armed with invaluable experience and unique skills, military veterans make up a diverse talent pool that strengthens the company’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Over the years Amazon India has hired military veterans into numerous roles across its businesses. In line with Amazon’s global vision of hiring 100,000 military veterans and military spouses by 2025, this is an opportunity for those that have served India to transition to corporate life and contribute to Amazon’s customer obsession.
