AWS Singapore and Australia certified as a Great Place To Work™ for 2024

According to Lisa Tay, Asia Pacific Japan human resources director at AWS and Rianne van Veldhuizen, managing director, AWS Australia and New Zealand, AWS’s strength lies in its people.  

"We have a community where everyone can thrive and every day, our builders bring their whole selves to work and this enriches our Amazon culture and drives innovation with diverse perspectives, multiple skills, and rich experiences," Tay said. "We are more than colleagues; we are friends, mentors, and collaborators who support each other at every step. This sense of camaraderie and unity fuels our success and makes AWS Singapore a truly special place to work."

"We are striving to be Earth’s best employer. To do this, we’re not just building a great workplace, we're also building a community where everyone can be themselves, do their best work, while also having fun. Across the nation, our teams are bringing diverse perspectives, skills, and experiences to drive customer and partner success," van Veldhuizen said.
Whether it's through skills training, career development programs, or opportunities to work on cutting-edge projects, AWS is dedicated to helping our employees reach their full potential.

AWS staff have access to a wide array of training and development programs tailored to meet the needs of our diverse workforce. These include technical training to enhance job-specific skills, leadership development programs to prepare future leaders, and soft skills training that helps all employees navigate and thrive within our corporate environment. We also encourage and give our employees opportunities to move internally and experience new roles within Amazon through our mobility program.

Ricky Tan, senior technology business developer for global education at AWS, echoes the above by sharing his own experience working at AWS for the past three and a half years.

“AWS empowers me to innovate and help customers modernize. I find great meaning in skilling, reskilling, and upskilling talents to build impactful solutions," he said. "Anchored by our 16 Leadership Principles, AWS’s culture enables us to think big and deliver phenomenal results, leveraging Singapore’s greatest asset: its people."

These thoughts are echoed by Peter Ristic, head of APJ Startup Cloud Sales Centre at AWS, who has spent time building his career at AWS Australia.

“My AWS journey began in 2012 in Sydney. I was surrounded by some of the most talented people, working on some of the most exciting solutions I have seen in my career. 12 years later, that has not changed, I have seen first-hand how our technology, people, and culture have been able to transform and benefit others," Ristic said. "I truly believe that our Leadership Principles, people, and solutions, are core to this and the north star keeping me focused on always seeking to help even more."

Such opportunities also extend to the broader community, where AWS has trained more than 700,000 people across Singapore and Australia on cloud skills since 2017. For example, AWS re/Start is a free skills training program that prepares learners for cloud careers. Designed for learners with no technology background, the program provides fundamental AWS cloud skills and connects them with potential employers.

AWS also promotes mentorship programs that connect employees with mentors who provide guidance, support, and insight into career development opportunities within the company. Our numerous internal networks and affinity groups also offer employees the chance to meet and collaborate with others who share similar backgrounds or interests.

Amazon has 13 affinity groups, also known as employee resource groups, which bring Amazon employees together across businesses and locations around the world. Some of the chapters include Amazon Women in Engineering (AWE), People with Disabilities (PWD), Asians at Amazon, and more.

AWS’s commitment to the professional growth of our diverse employees is exemplified by Amanda Kiemas, channel and alliances leader at AWS, who has spent more than seven years building her career at AWS Singapore.

“Inclusivity and diversity are foundational at AWS. As an Asian woman without a tech degree, I’ve benefited from numerous learning opportunities and immense support from colleagues,” she said. “Leveraging AWS’s community and collaborative spirit, my solution architect colleagues helped me grasp cloud concepts and problem-solving techniques. This guidance enabled me to earn the AWS Partner Solution Architect Associate Certification, enhancing my ability to address customer challenges and contribute to successful outcomes.”

AWS is dedicated to building a workforce that mirrors the diversity of our global community, fostering an environment where individuals from all backgrounds feel they belong and can thrive. We understand the importance of diverse perspectives in driving innovation and are committed to enhancing representation across all levels of our company.

Our AWS She Builds program is a prime example of our commitment to supporting women in technology in Singapore and Australia. Launched in 2017, AWS She Builds was inspired by an AWS employee who recognized the need to close the gender gap in tech conferences and community events. These events provide a platform for women to engage with tech leaders, share experiences, and enhance their skills. The She Builds Tech Skills Program aims to empower more women to build STEM careers and develop into the future leaders in technology.

From charity events and beach clean-ups to biodiversity protection and educational outreach, our builders across Singapore and Australia have been working on meaningful programs to serve our communities through local charities and as part of our AWS InCommunities program.

From packing 18,000 relief items to be stored and shipped to areas affected by natural disasters, to cooking about 2,100 gourmet meals with OzHarvest, and making over 10,000 sandwiches to support hungry kids with Eat Up, Amazon employees in Australia hosted over 70 volunteering initiatives.

On another front, AWS InCommunities and AWS employees in Singapore collaborated with Junior Achievement Singapore to launch the “Fun with AR/VR Coding” programme for four secondary schools, reaching nearly 800 students.

“Our employees are not just the backbone of AWS—they're also driving positive change in our communities and making a real impact on our customers," said Sandra Teh, chief culture evangelist for Asia, Pacific, Japan, and China (APJC) & Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) at AWS. Whether volunteering for local charities, or as part of our AWS InCommunities programme, or using their skills to develop innovative solutions, our team members make a difference every day."

AWS is a place where employees’ contributions drive our success and shape our culture every day. We are still in early days of cloud adoption and we can’t wait to see what our employees will build tomorrow.