Dave Clark, CEO of the company's worldwide consumer division, is stepping down after 23 years in the position. Clark will be leaving the office on July 1.
We have more work to do to get to where we want to be. We want to be careful in our plans for Dave's succession and any changes we make. I expect to be ready with an update for you over the next few weeks. If we stay focused on executing the plan that the consumer team has built, we will deliver the right experiences for customers and results for the business.
After graduating from the University of Tennessee, Clark joined Amazon. He started as an operations manager in Kentucky, grew to a general manger in the Northeast, and eventually led all of the world's consumers. Clark led teams that designed several generations of fulfillment centers and built out Amazon's transportation network, as well as being a major proponent of the $775 million acquisition of warehouse robot maker Kiva.
Clark may have left suddenly. Jassy claims that the decision was Clark's and that he intends to "pursue other opportunities." Two years prior, Clark took over as chief executive of Amazon's retail business, which encompassed the retail website, Amazon's physical stores, Amazon Prime, and the growing logistics empire that stocks and deliver items.
Clark said in an internal email that it was time for him to say goodbye to the ride and begin a new one. For some time, I have discussed my intent to leave Amazon with my family and other close to me, but I wanted to make sure the teams were set up for success. I think it's time now.
I've had an incredible time at Amazon but it’s time for me to build again. It's what drives me. To all I've had the honor of working with: thank you for making it so much fun to come to work every day for 23 years to invent cool, amazing things for customers.
Email to team below pic.twitter.com/c8Ao46VvaJ
— Dave Clark (@davehclark) June 3, 2022
Clark and his wife sold their home in Medina, a Seattle suburb, last fall before moving to Dallas, Texas, according to reports. The company is based in Seattle.
The governance of the company's warehouses became the subject of media scrutiny after Clark was celebrated for dramatically expanding the company's logistical operations during the Pandemic. According to multiple outlets, Clark led the push to get the U.S. Postal Service to put a temporary mailbox outside of Amazon's warehouse. Clark spearheaded the creation of an internal social media program that allowed Amazon employees to shout out their performance but banned words like "union", "pay raise", "grievance", and "diversity"
During his early years at Amazon, Clark said that he preferred to lurking in the shadows of warehouses and looking for slackers. He has sparred with his opponents on the social networking site.
According to CNBC, Clark is among Amazon's highest-paid executives, with total compensation of $56 million last year, most of it in stock awards.
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