Amazon CEO of worldwide consumer operations, Dave Clark, is resigning from the global retail product company. Clark’s resignation will take effect on July 1 after a 23-year stint at the company. He was one of the top right-hand associates of Amazon CEO Andy Jassy.
A 1996 music education graduate from Auburn University, Clark joined Amazon in 1999, the day following his MBA graduation from the University of Tennessee. He joined as an operations manager in Kentucky but grew through the ranks to become CEO of worldwide consumer services, earning $175,000 annually and $56 million in 2021 – from $46.3 million in 2020 – most of it in stocks.
He is in charge of physical and online retail stores, third-party dealers, fulfillment and logistics programs, Amazon Prime subscriptions, and other key units which put together generated more than 75% of Amazon’s revenue in the 2021 financial year which ended on March 31. Not only that, but he became the CEO of global consumer products when Jeff Wilke stepped down in 2020.
“I’ve had an incredible time at Amazon, but it’s time for me to build again,” Clark said. “It’s what drives me. It has been my privilege to work with some of the best people anywhere in the world over the past 23 years. To all I’ve had the honor of working with: Thank you for making it so much fun to come to work every day to build cool, amazing things for customers.”
Clark is not the only Amazon top executive to leave the company in recent times. After Jeff Bezos stepped down, analysts thought Wilke would fill his shoes, but he left in 2020. Steve Kessel, who developed the original Kindle and was head of the physical stores business, left in 2019. Now it is Clark leaving on July 1.
“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 employees. “For some time, I have discussed my intent to transition out of Amazon and with my family and others close to me, but I wanted to ensure the teams were set up for success. I feel confident that time is now.”