For most people, running one of the largest corporations in the world and making millions annually while doing so is a no-brainer.
But Andy Jassy resisted agreeing right away when Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, invited him to succeed him as CEO last year.
Despite having decades of experience at the corporation — plenty of time to research the nature of the role — Jassy stated on Wednesday why he wanted time to consider the position before accepting it. Jassy presided over Amazon’s Amazon Web Services division before taking the helm as CEO, and he had no intention of switching careers.
Jassy, 54, stated at the 2022 DealBook Summit hosted by The New York Times, “I’ve worked with Amazon for 25 years.” “I didn’t want to try something new.
While working there, I also didn’t think Jeff would ever do anything different.
Jassy asked Bezos if he might go home and discuss it with his wife rather than instantly adopting the much-praised viewpoint. Jassy and his wife concluded that he should accept the offer that evening.
In February 2021, right after the business published its first quarter with over $100 billion in revenue, Amazon made the change’s intentions known. In July, five months later, Jassy commenced in his capacity as CEO.
Many individuals inside and outside the company, including Jassy, were taken aback when Bezos, still the company chairman, said he was stepping aside from Amazon.
But years after starting for Amazon as a marketing manager in 1997, Jassy was prepared to take over. To develop Amazon Web Services in 2006, he and Bezos collaborated extensively; Jassy became its CEO for the following 15 years.
The company’s stock has bounced between record highs and sharp drops since Jassy became Amazon’s CEO last year. Additionally, the corporation started closing warehouses and firing tens of thousands of workers.
