Sean Helmes
Senior Product Manager - Technical, External Services - AWS Startups
Innovating on behalf of founders and startups at AWS. Led the Amazon Q Developer launch across the AWS Console, documentation and marketing site, and built LLM-powered voice-of-customer analytics. Fifteen years in product across cloud infrastructure, banking, fintech, healthcare and media.
About
About me
Sean Helmes builds generative AI products at Amazon Web Services, where he is a Senior Product Manager (Technical) on External Services for AWS Startups. Earlier in his time at AWS he led the launch of Amazon Q Developer across the AWS Management Console, the AWS marketing website, and AWS documentation, and built a voice-of-customer analytics system using clustering and large language models to turn raw customer feedback into product decisions. He also brought CloudWatch and CloudShell into the AWS Console Mobile App.
Before AWS, Sean was Vice President of Digital Mobile Product Management at JPMorgan Chase, the mobile subject-matter expert across business units, shipping products that removed friction from everyday banking. Earlier he ran digital product at Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News, where he architected and launched the GEN website on AWS and WordPress and created the GEN Edge premium membership; and spent five years at the fintech lender Borro, rising from Product Manager to VP of Product Management.
He holds a BA in Consumer Behavior from the University of Connecticut, is an AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate and Certified Scrum Product Owner, and completed Stanford's machine learning certificate. He works hands-on in SQL, Python, React and PyTorch, and builds against the OpenAI, Amazon Bedrock, Anthropic Claude, and Google Gemini APIs.
- Currently
- Senior Product Manager - Technical, External Services - AWS Startups
- Based in
- San Mateo, California
- Works in
- San Francisco, California
- From
- New Fairfield, Connecticut
- Education
- BA, Consumer Behavior, University of Connecticut
- Outside work
- Building and improving things, travel, and UConn basketball
Capabilities
What I work with
AI & machine learning
OpenAI APIs, Amazon Bedrock, Anthropic Claude, Google Gemini, Meta Llama, PyTorch
Cloud & platform
AWS (Certified Solutions Architect – Associate), Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure
Product management
Roadmapping, discovery, KPI definition, Jira, Confluence, Aha.io, Pendo
Analytics & experimentation
Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics, Mixpanel, Optimizely, Adobe Target
Engineering
SQL, Python, JavaScript, React, PHP, Java
Mobile
Native iOS and Android, App Store Connect, Google Play Console
Design
Figma, Adobe XD, OmniGraffle, Balsamiq, Adobe Creative Cloud
Experience
Where I've worked
-
2022 – Present
Senior Product Manager - Technical, External Services
Amazon Web Services San Francisco, CAProduct for AWS Startups on External Services. Earlier in the role, led the Amazon Q Developer launch across the AWS Management Console, marketing website and documentation; launched CloudWatch and CloudShell in the AWS Console Mobile App; and built voice-of-customer analytics using clustering and large language models.
-
2020 – 2022
Vice President, Digital Mobile Product Manager
JPMorgan Chase & Co. New York, NYMobile subject-matter expert across business units, shipping products that removed friction from everyday banking and integrating analytics, UX research and competitive analysis into prioritization.
-
2018 – 2020
Digital Product Manager
Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News New Rochelle, NYArchitected, designed and launched the GEN website on AWS and WordPress. Created and launched GEN Edge, a premium membership service. Defined the KPIs the editorial and commercial teams ran on.
-
2014 – 2018
VP of Product Management
Borro, Inc. New York, NYLed product development, design and implementation for fintech web and mobile products, including market analysis and product validation strategy.
-
2013 – 2014
Product Manager
Borro, Inc. New York, NYDrove innovation in company growth areas and owned website and mobile functionality for revenue and customer acquisition.
-
2011 – 2013
Online Product Manager
LifeCare, Inc. Shelton, CTDefined website capabilities with stakeholders and managed web and mobile development projects from inception through launch for the health, care and employee-benefits provider.
-
2009 – 2011
Project Manager
Fusion Media, Inc. Somers, NYManaged design and video production schedules with an eight-person creative team, serving clients including PepsiCo and American Express.
-
2005 – 2011
Founder
Helmes Innovations, LLC New Fairfield, CTBuilt commercial and consumer mobile applications and consulted on online marketing campaigns.
-
2006 – 2007
Intern
Sony Music Entertainment New York, NYDeveloped value-added strategies for Sony BMG artists and created mobile applications bundled with digital albums.
Credentials
Education & certifications
Education
Certifications
- AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate
- Certified Scrum Product Owner, Scrum Alliance
- Machine Learning Certificate, Stanford University
- Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate
- Registered Apple iOS Developer
- Registered Google Android Developer
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Who is Sean Helmes?
Sean Helmes builds generative AI products at Amazon Web Services, where he is a Senior Product Manager (Technical) in the San Francisco Bay Area. He works on External Services for AWS Startups, and earlier led the Amazon Q Developer launch across the AWS Console, documentation and marketing site. He has roughly 15 years of digital product management experience across cloud infrastructure, banking, fintech, healthcare, and media.
What does Sean Helmes do at AWS?
He builds generative AI products as a Senior Product Manager (Technical) on External Services for AWS Startups. Earlier in the role he led the Amazon Q Developer launch across the AWS Management Console, the AWS marketing website, and AWS documentation. He also brought CloudWatch and CloudShell into the AWS Console Mobile App, and built voice-of-customer analytics using clustering and large language models.
What did Sean Helmes do before AWS?
He was Vice President of Digital Mobile Product Management at JPMorgan Chase from 2020 to 2022, where he served as the mobile subject-matter expert across business units. Before that he was Digital Product Manager at Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News, and VP of Product Management at the fintech lender Borro, which he joined as a Product Manager in 2013.
What products has Sean Helmes launched?
Amazon Q Developer across the AWS Console, marketing site, and documentation. CloudWatch and CloudShell in the AWS Console Mobile App. The GEN website, rebuilt on AWS and WordPress, plus the GEN Edge premium membership service. Native iOS and Android apps for both GEN and Clinical OMICs.
What is Sean Helmes's technical background?
He is an AWS Certified Solutions Architect (Associate) and a Certified Scrum Product Owner, with a machine learning certificate from Stanford and Google's Data Analytics Professional Certificate. He works hands-on with SQL, Python, JavaScript, React, and PyTorch, and builds against OpenAI, Amazon Bedrock, Anthropic Claude, and Google Gemini APIs. He is a registered iOS and Android developer.
Where did Sean Helmes go to school?
He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Consumer Behavior with a minor in Business Administration from the University of Connecticut, completed in 2008. He began his studies at Suffolk University in Boston, where he majored in Entrepreneurship and co-founded the Collegiate Investors Association.
Where is Sean Helmes based?
He is based in San Mateo, California, and works out of the AWS office in San Francisco. He previously worked in New York City and Connecticut.
Contact
Get in touch
The fastest way to reach me is LinkedIn or email. I read everything, and I reply to anything that isn't a template.