Matt Garman, CEO of Amazon Web Services, is set to take the stage at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation CEO Summit in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, on Wednesday, joining a high-profile lineup of tech leaders to discuss the evolving nexus of artificial intelligence and global business.
Garman will deliver a keynote speech under the theme "How AI Agents Are Reshaping Business" during a session titled “Tax Incentives and Regulatory Easing for AI Data Center Investments.” He will speak alongside Naver CEO Choi Soo-yeon and Meta Vice President Simon Milner.
His address will highlight AWS’ vision of how AI and cloud convergence are driving next-generation industrial innovation. Drawing on AWS’ status as the world’s most widely adopted cloud platform, he is expected to explore how generative AI is transforming enterprise operations and reshaping global competitiveness across industries.
As a founding member of AWS in 2006, Garman has played a pivotal role in building the business into a $100 billion global cloud powerhouse. Before being appointed CEO in June, he served as Senior Vice President of sales, marketing and global services. He now leads AWS’ efforts to accelerate digital transformation and AI-driven cloud strategies for enterprises worldwide.
In the second quarter of its 2025 fiscal year, AWS reported revenue of $30.87 billion and an operating income of $10.11 billion, resulting in an operating margin of 32.9 percent.
Revenue increased by 17.5 percent on-year, up from $26.21 billion, while operating income grew 7.7 percent from $9.38 billion in the same period in 2024. The operating margin decreased by 2.9 percentage points from the previous year.
Garman's keynote also comes as AWS deepens its investment footprint in Korea. The company is currently undertaking a five-year infrastructure initiative, committing approximately 7.85 trillion won ($5.46 billion) from 2023 to 2027 to expand its domestic cloud capabilities. From 2018 to 2022, AWS had already invested 2.73 trillion won in Korea, following the launch of its AWS Asia Pacific (Seoul) Region in 2016.
In a landmark strategic move, AWS has partnered with SK Group to construct a hyperscale AI data center in Ulsan, investing another 7.85 trillion won. Set for completion by 2029, the project is more than a facilities expansion; it is seen as a cornerstone of Korea’s push to strengthen digital sovereignty and build a self-reliant AI industry.
yeeun@heraldcorp.com
