The timing of Bezos’ transition in many ways mirrors that of other Silicon Valley founders, for whom giving up the CEO title meant losing much of the harsh spotlight but not necessarily all of the power. “Bezos needs to stop being the lightning rod” on the issue of Amazon’s labor practices, said William Klepper, professor of management at Columbia Business School, “and instead innovate his way out of this.” “I’m pretty sure somebody along the way saw and said, ‘Here’s another advantage of this timing,’” said James Bailey, professor of leadership development at George Washington University.Īmazon has also recently faced criticism for its treatment of warehouse workers, something Bezos has pledged to address as executive chair. And stepping aside could also help insulate Bezos from some lawmaker criticism. Not having the richest man on Earth at the company’s helm could help it better weather some of that scrutiny. But the company’s explosive growth has only heightened the attention of regulators, some of whom believe it has gotten too big.

The pandemic created massive demand for its services, leading to jumps in profits and in hiring.

“His skills for cutting through noise identifying high-value opportunities cannot be overstated … so it would make sense for Amazon to free him from the operational grind to maximize those areas.”īezos’ exit as CEO comes at a critical time for Amazon. “He’ll likely still stay involved, though no longer focusing on the day-to-day and instead able to focus on company-wide initiatives and new products and services,” said Daniel Elman, global technology analyst at market research firm Nucleus Research. Carter Smith/Bloomberg via Getty Images F. The program provides comprehensive insight into the global and regional energy future by addressing key issues from markets and geopolitics to technology, project costs, energy and the environment, finance, operational excellence and cyber risks. Andrew Jassy, chief executive officer of web services for Inc., speaks during the 2019 CERAWeek by IHS Markit conference in Houston, Texas, U.S., on Monday, March 11, 2019.