eCommerce Strategy Consultant - Rick Watson - RMW Commerce Consulting

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My Thoughts on Bezos Moving On & Into Executive Chairperson

What's my analysis on Jeff Bezos CEO of Amazon is moving on?

Here are my thoughts:

  • Amazon's culture, and (most importantly) decision-making processes are so ingrained, if anything I see Amazon continuing to accelerate. Yawn.

  • I don't think Andy Jassy's selection says as much about AWS and Amazon focus as it does about Andy. Next-level leader.

  • I believe this would have happened in 2020 if not for COVID - why?

a: Jeff Wilke, widely seen as the second most important Jeff at Amazon, retired in August 2020 (exit to occur in 2021). You don't do that if you have the chance to lead one of the most impactful companies in the world, you just don't.

b. Which means, perhaps Q1 2020 he was told of the final decision, and took at least a few months to consider announcing his next moves.

c. It's completely reasonable that pre-COVID Jeff Bezos decided to move on.

d. I think for Jeff, what more does he have to do at Amazon?

e. Long-time Jeff watchers know that his true passion is space, and by extension the planet. I expect that like Bill Gates, he will be quite aggressive. Plus he can try and stick it to Elon.

Amazon's biggest risk by far continues to be that the next generation of leaders aren't as entrepreneurial as the last. Which isn't exactly a short-term risk.