Bob Smith, chief government officer of Blue Origin LLC, (L), and Dave Limp, senior vp of gadgets and companies for Amazon.com Inc.
Getty Pictures
Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin will exchange CEO Bob Smith with outgoing Amazon government Dave Limp, CNBC has realized.
Smith is retiring efficient Dec. 4 and can stay with the corporate till Jan. 2 for the CEO transition, in response to notes to Blue Origin workers written by Smith and Bezos that had been obtained by CNBC.
Limp joins Blue Origin at a key section of the corporate’s a number of house initiatives. Blue must ramp manufacturing of its BE-4 rocket engines, return its house tourism rocket New Shepard to flight, and launch its next-generation New Glenn rocket for the primary time – in addition to ship on a recently-won NASA contract for a crewed lunar lander.
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In a press release to CNBC, a Blue Origin spokesperson praised Limp as “a confirmed innovator with a customer-first mindset” who has “in depth expertise within the high-tech trade and rising extremely advanced organizations.”
Amazon introduced final month that Limp can be stepping down later this 12 months. As Amazon’s gadgets and companies chief, Limp oversaw Amazon’s Alexa, Echo and Ring models, in addition to a few of its extra experimental divisions like Zoox autonomous automobiles, and the Challenge Kuiper web satellite tv for pc enterprise.
Limp’s Amazon success
Dave Limp, Senior Vice President, Units & Companies, speaks at Amazon’s HQ2 in Crystal Metropolis, Virginia on September 20, 2023.
Eric Lee | The Washington Submit | Getty Pictures
Limp’s resignation got here as a shock, as he spent greater than 13 years at Amazon. He grew to become a prime lieutenant of CEO Andy Jassy and a member of Amazon’s vaunted S-Staff, a tight-knit group of senior executives throughout nearly all of its companies.
Moreover, Limp and Bezos labored intently collectively when the Amazon founder was nonetheless CEO. Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant and Echo good audio system had been pet initiatives of Bezos’, and Limp steered each of the high-profile launches.
Amazon has not introduced a substitute for Limp but, however Bloomberg and different retailers have reported that the corporate is anticipated to rent Microsoft product chief Panos Panay.
Smith’s few Blue Origin outcomes
Billionaire American businessman Jeff Bezos walks with Blue Origin’s President and CEO Bob Smith after Bezos flew on the corporate’s inaugural flight to the sting of house, within the close by city of Van Horn, Texas, U.S. July 20, 2021.
Joe Skipper | Reuters
Smith took the reins at Blue Origin in 2017 after 13 years at aerospace conglomerate Honeywell, with Bezos yearly spending billions to remodel his house enterprise right into a sector powerhouse.
Underneath Smith’s management, Blue Origin closely constructed up infrastructure throughout the U.S. – including a key rocket engine manufacturing and testing website in Alabama, increasing its rocket manufacturing and launch services in Florida, and opening places in California, Arizona, and Colorado.
Probably the most high-profile success throughout Smith’s tenure got here in July 2021, when Bezos flew with the primary crew of Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket to the sting of house and again.
However delays and setbacks marred every of Blue Origin’s main applications beneath Smith. Each its marquee New Glenn rocket and BE-4 engines – the latter of which can be wanted for fellow rocket firm United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan automobile – are years delayed. It misplaced out on a profitable spherical of Pentagon launch contracts in 2020, and must fly New Glenn to point out the U.S. House Drive is could be awarded navy missions within the upcoming spherical of awards.
Earlier this 12 months Blue Origin received a $3.4 billion NASA contract to construct a lunar lander for the company’s astronauts. However the competitors was a second-chance contest that NASA organized after Elon Musk’s SpaceX was the only winner of the primary lander contract in 2021 – an award determination that Blue Origin took to federal courtroom and misplaced.
These schedule slips had been compounded by allegations from present and former staff that the corporate had a poisonous and sexist office. Smith addressed these claims by saying Blue Origin had “no tolerance for discrimination or harassment of any form,” however the firm suffered from an elevated turnover price in 2021. Nevertheless, Blue Origin has since employed aggressively. Bezos on Monday noting famous the corporate had grown to greater than 10,000 staff, from round 4,000 about two years prior.
Learn Bezos’ message to Blue Origin staff on Monday:
I am excited to share that Dave Limp will be a part of Blue beginning December 4th as CEO, changing Bob, who has elected to step apart on January 2. The overlap is purposeful to make sure a easy transition.
Earlier than I present some background on Dave, I would wish to take the time to acknowledge Bob and the numerous progress and transformation we have skilled throughout his tenure. Underneath Bob’s management, Blue has grown to a number of billion {dollars} in gross sales orders, with a considerable backlog for our automobiles and engines. Our staff has elevated from 850 individuals when Bob joined to greater than 10,000 at this time. We have expanded from one workplace in Kent to constructing a launch pad at LC-36 and 5 million sq. ft of services throughout seven states.
Our mission has grown too – we have flown 31 individuals above the Kármán Line, nearly 5 % of all of the individuals who have been to house. Flight-qualified BE-4 engines are prepared to spice up Vulcan into orbit. New Glenn is nearing launch subsequent 12 months, and, with our current NASA contract, we’ll land Individuals again on the Moon, this time to remain. We’ve got additionally engaged and impressed thousands and thousands of kids and educators by means of our Membership for the Future efforts. We have made great progress in constructing a street to house for the advantage of Earth, thanks to every of you and Bob’s management.
I’ve labored intently with Dave for a few years. He’s the appropriate chief on the proper time for Blue. Dave joins us after nearly 14 years at Amazon, the place he most lately served as senior vp of Amazon Units and Companies, main Kuiper, Kindle, Alexa, Zoox, and lots of different companies. Earlier than Amazon, Dave had roles at different high-tech corporations, together with Palm and Apple. Dave is a confirmed innovator with a customer-first mindset and in depth expertise main and scaling massive, advanced organizations. Dave has an impressive sense of urgency, brings power to every part, and helps groups transfer very quick.
Please be a part of me in welcoming Dave and thanking Bob. By way of this transition, I do know we’ll stay targeted on our buyer commitments, manufacturing schedules, and executing with pace and operational excellence. I sit up for the numerous thrilling and historic milestones forward of us!
Jeff
Learn Smith’s message to Blue Origin staff:
Staff Blue,
It has been about six years since I joined Blue Origin. Throughout that point, our staff, services, and gross sales orders have grown dramatically, and we have made vital contributions to the historical past of spaceflight.
With pleasure and satisfaction in all that we have completed, I am asserting that efficient December 4, I shall be stepping apart as Chief Govt Officer of Blue Origin. I’ll stay with Blue till January 2 to make sure a easy transition with the brand new CEO.
It has been my privilege to be a part of this nice staff, and I’m assured that Blue Origin’s best achievements are nonetheless forward of us. We have quickly scaled this firm from its prototyping and analysis roots to a big, distinguished house enterprise. We’ve got the appropriate technique. a supremely proficient staff, a sturdy buyer base, and among the most technically bold and thrilling initiatives in your entire trade. We even have a staff that cares deeply about its mission, legacy, and the way we contribute to the subsequent technology and convey everybody right into a brighter future.
Jeff and I’ve been discussing my plan for months, and Jeff will announce Blue’s new CEO in a separate notice shortly. I am very excited in regards to the operational excellence and tradition of innovation this new chief will convey to Blue. constructing on the muse we have created over the previous few years.
I am dedicated to making sure this transition is flawless, and everybody ought to know that In poor health all the time be on Staff Blue.
Gradatim Ferociter.
Bob Smith
Correction: An earlier model of this story mischaracterized Dave Limp’s standing at Amazon.
