Windows finally has a new Insider chief. After 168 days of searching, Panos Panay has appointed Amanda Langowski as the new internal lead. Langowski has been with the company since the turn of the millennium, working in various Windows release-oriented roles.
Her prior position, which she held for 4 years, was the principal program manager lead of Windows fundamentals, flighting platforms, and operations. For three years prior to that, she was the principal program manager lead of engineering services fo the Windows and devices group. Needless to say, she has plenty of experience shipping Windows builds.
“Amanda's passion for Windows is evident in her 20-year career at Microsoft, which began with coordinating beta programs for Windows. Since then, she's been an extraordinary and dedicated product maker for the company. In meeting Amanda, one thing that is immediately apparent is her passion for customer feedback and the positive impact it can have on our products,” said Panay, head of Windows Experiences. “This can be seen in her work leading the Flighting Platform Team not only coordinating the release of each new build that goes to Insiders, but also in managing our Insider settings capabilities, ultimately enabling one of the most powerful streams of customer feedback we have.”
#WindowsInsiders: you've been asking…who is the new leader of the Insider program? We told you you'd be hearing a ton more from @amanda_lango and this is why!
She's incredibly passionate about making the Insider program work for YOU, so please be kind & co-create with her! https://t.co/BnTKYjOH0j
— Dona Sarkar at #AbilitySummit (@donasarkar) March 23, 2020
Langowski is the third Windows Insider head we've seen in its 5-year history, the first being Gabe Aul, who now works on VR at Facebook. Donar Sarkar was his successor and now works in the developer relations team as a Power Platform advocate.
The appointment is bound to mean some changes to the Insider program, but Panay has fairly vague so far. Langowski's vision apparently includes providing participants with greater clarity surrounding how their feedback transforms Windows 10. She also wants to better connect with “legacy Insiders” and grow the diversity of the community.