Q&A with Andre Testman, Senior Program Manager for Amazon Air

Everyone, meet Andre! With nearly 4 years at Amazon, Andre serves as a Senior Program Manager, advancing safety technology at Amazon Air. As a pivotal member of the Air Safety Programs (ASP) team, Andre leads a team of Business Analysts focused on delivering business intelligence solutions for the larger Global Aviation Operations organization. Andre is dedicated to establishing Amazon Air as a leader in safety standards. Prior to his tenure at Amazon, Andre proudly served 13 years on active duty in the Marine Corps and continues his service in the Reserves, where he has contributed for the past 5 years.

Andre, tell us, what would you say is your favorite Amazon memory?

One of my favorite memories at Amazon was during a team offsite in Washington, D.C. We had a visit from a National Transportation Safety Board investigator who shared insights about their agency and the important work they do. This was especially relevant to our team, Air Safety Programs, as we focus on advancing safety at Amazon Air. Additionally, the offsite gave us a chance to connect with colleagues from the Global Aviation Operations team.

What brings you passion/excitement to your role and team?

I get excited our safety tech excelling and improving safety. The success of our tech and of ASP’s safety initiatives in general is directly dependent upon the impact it has on the day-to-day experiences of our associates at Amazon Air sites. Amazonians across Amazon Air’s operations take time to report safety issues and do their due diligence of identifying risks in the network. It brings me a lot of personal fulfillment to see the number of people engaged with our tech and to see the progress we’re making with safety in the network. Helping to make Amazon Air a great place to work and grow is what makes me excited!

What do you do for fun/work life balance?

Living in Washington, I'm incredibly lucky to have easy access to some of the most breathtaking natural beauty our country has to offer. I love doing that as much as I can by hiking new trails with my family, snowboarding in the winter, and paddle boarding in the summer. One of the best hikes we’ve taken so far was to Blanca Lake in the Cascades (think: milky blue water with a crescent bowl of mountain peaks surrounding you). Outside of those activities, you’ll find me reading a book or exploring the Pacific Northwest on road trips. The book that currently has my attention, and which I am thoroughly enjoying, is Ministry of the Future; it uses fictional eyewitnesses to tell the story of how climate change will affect us. I highly recommend it!

What is your favorite leadership principle and why?

I’m going to cheat here and say that I have two favorites—Learn and Be Curious and Ownership—due in no small part to them being connected. I chose Learn and Be Curious because I think it’s pivotal to a fruitful life in general. At Amazon, maintaining a sense of curiosity helps in everything from identifying customer pain points to finding the role/team that’s working on something that sparks your passion. Ownership is tied to this in that having a strong sense of personal agency means you will Deliver Results for customers and your team and, as an individual, drive your career in the direction that brings you fulfillment. Both of these LPs have played a huge role in how my own journey at Amazon has unfolded, and I think they ultimately feed into many of the other LPs.

How did your military experience prepare you for Amazon?

Without a doubt, I was well prepared for Amazon as a result of my military service. Probably the biggest reason why is that the military consistently expects its members to learn new things, move on to new roles, and solve harder problems. “Know yourself and seek self-improvement” is a core leadership principle of the Marine Corps, and that ethos directly translates to Amazon’s culture and its own Leadership Principles. One reason I enjoy working at Amazon is because you’re exposed to, and expected to solve, big problems at scale. To do so requires learning new things, learning to ask the right questions, and then having the Ownership to implement solutions. My service in the Marine Corps prepared me for all of those. Though I had solid soft skills developed through the military, there were some hard skills I needed to develop. Amazon does a great job of providing programs and resources to transitioning service members to support developing needed hard skills and adjusting to the different work-life between a military career and a civilian career. I was fortunate to go through an Amazon program specifically designed to help me and others ramp into our roles by training in hard skills.

How do you foster diversity and inclusion on your team?

To foster diversity and inclusion on my team, I try to be the last to speak. It’s amazing how much one can learn by simply listening and being in “receive mode." Doing so enables everyone a chance to get their own ideas out there, and it also helps refine the questions I originally intended to ask. I also make it a habit to call on any team members who haven’t had a chance to share their perspective to ensure they have an opportunity to do so, if they desire.

Where is the best place you have ever traveled?

For work, the best places I’ve traveled to is Leipzig, Germany and Luxembourg. At the time, Amazon Air had our only Amazon-run facility in Leipzig. It was wonderful because I was exposed to our European operations, but the best thing was simply getting to meet and work with my EU teammates in person. Outside of work, I’ve been fortunate to be able to travel widely. Some of my favorites from my personal travels have been Bolivia, South Africa, and El Salvador. Each of those places were special to me for different reasons. Bolivia has this rugged, stark beauty that’s hard to put into words. This is true of its geography and its people. This was particularly evident in Potosi, one of the places I visited and site of one of the most important mines of the Spanish Empire. South Africa was incredible as it reminded me very much of California, only with penguins and baboons. El Salvador is one of my favorites because the people are so down-to-Earth and the gently sloping volcanoes that dot the country are so striking as they tower over the Pacific Ocean. I first learned to surf in El Salvador’s warm waters and black volcanic sand beaches.

Amazing! Thank you for your service and for sharing your Amazon story with us, Andre.

You can learn more about Andre's team Amazon Air here.