David Limp, the former Senior Vice President of Devices and Services at Amazon, announced his retirement during Amazon’s 2023 Devices Event. However, it appears that his retirement plans have changed, as he has been tapped by Jeff Bezos to replace Bob Smith as the CEO of Blue Origin. Smith will remain with the company until January 2, 2024, to assist with the transition. In an announcement to Blue Origin’s workforce, Bezos highlighted the growth and achievements under Smith’s leadership and expressed confidence in Limp as the right leader for the company’s future.
Limp brings extensive experience from his previous role at Amazon, where he led various businesses such as Kuiper, Kindle, Alexa, and Zoox. Bezos praised Limp’s customer-first mindset, proven innovation, and expertise in scaling large organizations. Limp expressed his pride in the accomplishments of Blue Origin and announced his stepping aside as CEO, effective December 4, to ensure a smooth transition. The new CEO of Blue Origin will be announced separately by Jeff Bezos. Meanwhile, speculation has surfaced that Microsoft’s product chief, Panos Panay, may be a leading candidate to replace Limp at Amazon.
While Limp’s retirement from Amazon was initially confirmed, his appointment as Blue Origin’s CEO underscores the dynamic nature of leadership positions in the tech industry. The transition is expected to maintain the company’s focus on customer commitments, production schedules, and operational excellence. With Limp’s experience and the foundation laid under Smith’s leadership, Blue Origin aims to continue its ambitious projects in the space industry, which include plans for lunar missions and expanding its launch capabilities. As the search for Limp’s successor at Amazon continues, Panos Panay from Microsoft has been rumored as a potential candidate.