It's the end of an era at Amazon. In line with the release of its quarterly earnings, the company on Tuesday announced that founder Jeff Bezos will step down as CEO and assume the role of executive chair in the third quarter of 2021.
Andy Jassy, currently the CEO of Amazon Web Services, which has helped drive profits for the global e-commerce giant in recent years, will take over the top spot.
"Amazon is what it is because of invention," said Bezos in the release. "We do crazy things together and then make them normal. We pioneered customer reviews, 1-Click, personalized recommendations, Prime's insanely-fast shipping, Just Walk Out shopping, the Climate Pledge, Kindle, Alexa, marketplace, infrastructure cloud computing, Career Choice, and much more."
The company also delivered its best quarter ever by revenue with $125.56 billion coming out of the holiday season, compared with $87.4 billion in the fourth quarter of 2019.
In a letter to employees that was published on the company's blog, Bezos explained what he will focus on in his new role and commended his replacement.
"In the Exec Chair role, I intend to focus my energies and attention on new products and early initiatives," he wrote. "Andy is well known inside the company and has been at Amazon almost as long as I have. He will be an outstanding leader, and he has my full confidence."
PepsiCo's "Rolling Remembrance" American Flag Relay Puts Veteran Drivers at the Wheel to Raise Funds and Awareness for Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation
Fresh off the company’s IPO at the New York Stock Exchange Bowhead Specialty CEO Stephen Sills discusses what’s next and why some insurance rates are rising.
AAA predicts a surge in summer 2024 travel, with 44 million travelers, surpassing pre-pandemic levels. Expect more solo trips, AI use, and Taylor Swift.
As Americans prepare for a long weekend of grilling, Impossible Foods wants to put aside the culture wars, win over meat eaters – and IPO when it's 'ready.'
In April, grocery prices rose by 1.2 percent, reaching pre-pandemic levels of food inflation. Could an e-commerce grocer be the solution? Thrive Market says yes
