From mid-2021, Jeff Bezos will no longer be at the helm of the e-commerce and Web giant, but remains at Amazon to take on a new role.
After 27 years at the helm of the company, Amazon CEO and founder Jeff Bezos is leaving: he will be replaced at the helm by Andy Jassy, the current President of Amazon Web Services. Bezos will, however, take on the role of Executive Chairman. The change of role will take place in the second part of 2021, according to what the company announced, marking for the tycoon the beginning of a new path.
Bezos’ presence in Amazon has been fundamental, so much so that it has contributed to making the company one of the leading names in technology, as well as in logistics and shopping. On the other hand, Bezos’ farsightedness and ability to seize the best opportunities on the market have brought him into the Gotha of the most influential personalities in the world, alongside names such as Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and Elon Musk. And it is with Musk that the future ex-CEO is constantly competing for the top spot on the list of the richest men in the world; it is currently Bezos who is on the top step of the podium, with over 196 billion dollars in assets, followed closely by the President of Tesla, with “only” 188 billion dollars and change.
Jeff Bezos and Amazon, a not entirely unexpected farewell
Already in recent years Bezos had begun to loosen the reins of command, delegating part of his responsibilities to two leading figures of the company, including the future CEO Jassy. At the same time, Bezos’ commitment to personal projects has increased, including Blue Origin, the company dedicated to space travel that costs him more than a billion dollars a year, and the purchase of the Washington Post, one of the most important newspapers in the world.
At the same time, a strong return to traditional operations at Amazon was the pandemic that, by exponentially multiplying the volumes of e-commerce, forced Bezos to make important decisions on some particularly critical issues. These included control of the supply chain and labor unrest due to personnel management within the supply chain.
Of course, the move to Executive Chairman of Amazon’s Board of Directors will not be without responsibility for Bezos. As he said himself, the different role will allow him to focus on “new products and initiatives,” just like his countless projects.
Jeff Bezos and the message to Amazon employees
In an email sent to all employees of the company, Bezos stressed that his change will mark a change of path that promises to be full of excitement and satisfaction, especially in light of past successes: “Amazon couldn’t be in a better position for the future. We’re going the extra mile, just as the world is asking us to do.”
“We have things in the pipeline,” Bezos added, “that will continue to amaze. We serve individuals and businesses, and we’ve pioneered two entire industries and a new class of devices. We’re leaders in areas as diverse as machine learning and logistics, and if the idea of an Amazon member still requires another new institutional capability, we’re flexible enough and patient enough to learn it.”