Aicha Evans

Aicha Evans
Evans (2019)
Born1969 (age 54–55)
Senegal
EducationThe George Washington University
OccupationCEO of Zoox

Aichatou Sar Evans (born 1969),[1] known professionally as Aicha Evans, is an American chief executive officer of Amazon's self-driving car subsidiary Zoox. In June 2020, Evans led the acquisition of her company by Amazon for US$1.3 billion.

Early life and education

Evans was born in Senegal and spent her childhood in Paris.[2][3] After immigrating to the United States, she studied at The George Washington University in Washington, D.C.,[2] where she received a bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering in 1996.[4]

Career

Evans has held engineering management positions at companies including Rockwell Semiconductor, Conexant, and Skyworks Solutions.[4]

Evans joined Intel in 2006,[3] and spent 12 years with the firm, specializing in leading wireless engineering projects utilizing technologies like Bluetooth, Wireless LAN, XMM register, and 5G.[5] In 2013, Evans assumed leadership of a communications and devices division[3] with more than 7,000 employees. In 2017, Evans was promoted to Chief Strategy Officer.[2] In a Federal Trade Commission case against Qualcomm, Evans served as a witness alleging unfair business practices[6] and potential anti-trust violations.

In February 2019, Evans joined Zoox as its new CEO.[4][7] In doing so, she became the first Senegalese-American female CEO of an autonomous vehicle technology company.[4][8][3] In June 2020, Evans led the acquisition of her company by Amazon for US$1.3 billion.[9][7] A Forbes analysis suggests that Evans' decision to pursue aggressive patent coverage in the mobility space led to Amazon's interest.[10] Evans will continue to manage the company as a stand-alone business post-acquisition.[11]

Volunteer and community work

Evans serves as a trustee for the Anita Borg Institute for Women & Technology.[5] She was a co-signatory of an open letter written by the Silicon Valley Leadership Group addressing racial intolerance of Chinese Americans in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.[12]

Honors and awards

  • 2019: Named to Business Insider's list of 100 People Transforming Business in the transportation category[13]
  • George Washington University Engineering Hall of Fame[14]
  • Evans was selected for the inaugural 2021 Forbes 50 Over 50; made up of entrepreneurs, leaders, scientists and creators who are over the age of 50.[15]

References

  1. ^ blackentrepreneurprofile.com. "Aicha Evans". Black Entrepreneurs & Executives Profiles. Retrieved 2020-07-12.
  2. ^ a b c Waters, Richard (18 January 2019). "Emotional intelligence takes Aicha Evans to top of Silicon Valley". Financial Times. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
  3. ^ a b c d Higgins, Tim (14 January 2019). "Autonomous Vehicle Startup Zoox Names Intel Executive Aicha Evans as CEO". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  4. ^ a b c d Ohnsman, Alan. "Robo-Taxi Startup Zoox Hires Intel Exec Aicha Evans As New CEO". Forbes. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
  5. ^ a b "ยป Aicha Evans". www.balderton.com. 26 April 2018. Retrieved 2020-07-12.
  6. ^ Shankland, Stephen. "Qualcomm rebates kicked Intel out of iPad Mini 2, but Qualcomm "gouging" meant Intel won in the end". CNET. Retrieved 2020-07-13.
  7. ^ a b DiFeliciantonio, Chase (26 June 2020). "Bay Area self-driving startup Zoox bought by Amazon for reported $1.2 billion". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  8. ^ by (2019-03-07). "Meet Intel Veteran Aicha Evans, New CEO Of Zoox". Moguldom. Retrieved 2020-07-13.
  9. ^ Weise, Karen; Griffith, Erin (26 June 2020). "Amazon to Buy Zoox, in a Move Toward Self-Driving Cars". The New York Times. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  10. ^ Columbus, Louis. "Using Patent Analytics To See Why Amazon Bought Zoox". Forbes. Retrieved 2020-07-13.
  11. ^ "Exclusive: Amazon Plans at Least $100 Million to Keep Zoox Talent After $1.3 Billion Deal". The New York Times. Reuters. 2020-07-09. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-07-13.
  12. ^ "Statement in Response to Recent Incidents and Rhetoric Targeting Asian Americans". Silicon Valley Leadership Group. 2020-03-20. Retrieved 2020-07-12.
  13. ^ "INTRODUCING: The 10 people transforming how the world gets around". Business Insider. 15 April 2019. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
  14. ^ "GW Engineering Hall of Fame: ECE Members | Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering | School of Engineering & Applied Science | The George Washington University". www.ece.seas.gwu.edu. Retrieved 2020-07-12.
  15. ^ Gross, Elana Lyn; Voytko, Lisette; McGrath, Maggie (2021-06-02). "The New Golden Age". Forbes. Retrieved 2021-06-02.