Andy Jassy will succeed Jeff Bezos as Amazon’s CEO. Bezos will transition to the role of Executive Chair in the third quarter of 2021. The CEO succession comes at a time of enormous financial and technical strength for Amazon but big antitrust challenges, reported CNBC.
“Andy’s got a promotion and his job now includes testifying to Congress, so good luck with that,” former Amazon VP Tim Bray told CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street” in an interview Wednesday, February 3. Bray later added, “Andy’s a smart guy. He’s a good leader. I suspect he’ll do well. But let’s not claim it’s going to be an easy job.”
Amazon is a likely next target for regulators, state attorneys general, and lawmakers who are increasing their antitrust scrutiny on Big Tech companies. Facebook and Google were sued in the US last year for alleged antitrust violations. But Amazon could be up next this year as investigations throughout the US and EU continue. And it won’t be Bezos taking the heat in the lawsuits and congressional hearings any more.
I have some questions for Mr. Jassy. https://t.co/DLpTd2AEio
— Congressman Ken Buck (@RepKenBuck) February 2, 2021
Lawmakers are already on alert. Shortly after Amazon announced Jassy would be the new CEO, Rep. Ken Buck (Republican – Colorado), a member of the House Subcommittee on Antitrust, tweeted that he’d like to question Jassy. This is the same House subcommittee that put out that epic report last year laying out alleged antitrust violations from Amazon, Apple, Google, and Facebook.
