Amazon CEO of Worldwide Consumer Dave Clark to resign July 1
Clark has worked at the e-commerce behemoth 23 years, helping to scale and oversee its massive retail business
Amazon's CEO of Worldwide Consumer Dave Clark will resign on July 1 after 23 years at the e-commerce behemoth.
"As much as I have loved the ride, it is time for me to say goodbye to start a new journey," Clark said in an email to staff shared on Twitter Friday. "For some time, I have discussed my intent to transition out of Amazon with my family and others close to me, but I wanted to ensure that teams were set up for success. I feel confident that time is now."
Clark has served as CEO of Worldwide Consumer since January 2021, overseeing the company's massive retail business.
Prior to taking on the position, Clark helped scale the company's fulfillment network and supply chain through leadership roles, including senior vice president of worldwide operations, vice president of global customer fulfillment and vice president of North American operations. He first joined Amazon through its Operations Pathways Program in May 1999.
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Dave Clark, Amazon's senior vice president of worldwide operations, speaks in this file photo during a press conference announcing Amazon.com's program to help entrepreneurs build businesses delivering Amazon packages. (REUTERS/Lindsey Wasson)
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said an update on Clark's successor will be announced in the next few weeks.
During Clark's tenure, Amazon has dealt with a host of issues, including the COVID-19 pandemic, labor shortages, global supply chain challenges and higher costs prompted by high inflation and Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Despite these headwinds, Amazon's consumer business has grown 23% on an annual basis over the past two years.
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"The past few years have been among the most challenging and unpredictable we’ve faced in the history of Amazon’s consumer business, and I’m particularly appreciative of Dave’s leadership during that time," Jassy said in a blog post.
In its most recent quarter, Amazon posted a net loss of $3.8 million, or $7.56 per diluted share, on net sales of $116.4 billion in the first quarter as retail sales slowed down and costs continued to rise.
In this March 30, 2020, file photo, workers at Amazon's fulfillment center in Staten Island, N.Y., gather outside to protest work conditions in the company's warehouse in New York. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews, File / AP Newsroom)
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At the company's annual meeting in May, Jassy told shareholders the company is "working hard" to return to a level of "healthy profitability" in its consumer business.
"We have effectively lowered our cost structure before, and I have high confidence that we’ll get back on track as we work through these incredibly unusual past two years," Jassy said.
To help combat rising costs, Amazon imposed a 5% "fuel and inflation" surcharge for sellers in April. Jassy also said during the annual meeting that Amazon will defer building activity on some properties and let some leases expire.
The announcement of Clark's resignation comes days after Meta Platforms' Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg announced she would be departing the Facebook and Instagram parent this fall.
