Leadership

Leadership, for me, is about creating an environment where talented professionals can thrive and be challenged to discover their potential. I understand the importance of being flexible and I aim to remove barriers and provide guidance for my team. This means creating space to be challenged, acknowledging individual strengths, and supporting the unique challenges of work-life integration. 

My leadership approach isn’t micromanaging, but empowering team members to take ownership of their work and professional development. I do believe in consistent, constructive feedback, transparent communication, and having a collaborative approach to problem-solving. My goal is to build a team that feels supported, valued, and motivated to deliver exceptional results. 

At the core, my philosophy is simple: treat the team with the same respect, curiosity, and support as I’d offer my own family.

Each year I share this document with my team to express my point of view and to outline how I operate as their manager. I’ve found it to be an effective and well-received tool over the years and I’ve had the good fortune of having leaders share something similar with me.

View document

Testimonials

Throughout my career, I’ve had the privilege of collaborating with exceptional people on transformative projects. Their words reflect a shared commitment of building amazing things on behalf of customers.

"John, you have exemplified think big, learn & be curious, and deliver results for the team. I appreciate that your instinct is always to invent & simplify and marvel at how well you earn trust by bringing partners along with you on the journey.”
Fan Jin Global Head of Amazon Autos
"John is one of the best managers I’ve ever had, as he is very focused on his team, on what they want to achieve, and he listens carefully and helps them implement their career goals. When he became my manager, one of the very first conversations we had was about my career and the things that I needed to succeed. That built trust, especially when I’ve seen that he is following through on his promises. John is a good upward manager as well, as I’ve seen him relentlessly educating his higher-ups about what the best decisions for his teams are, and holding them to the same standards that he has. That’s pretty bold. Additionally, John has very high standards when it comes to written and verbal communication and setting a clear vision for his team. This is something that he values, which increases transparency and the quality of the information flow. John is a great senior leader for any organization, who brings structure, backbone, and a people-first culture, so I highly recommend him.”
Gabriel Baciu Engineering Manager, Adobe
“I couldn’t have asked for a better manager as a new employee to Amazon, especially working remote during a global pandemic. I mean, I’ve never even met the guy and he’s had such a huge impact on my initial Amazon employee experience. I really can’t tell you how much I benefited from his steady leadership.”
Ruth Facer Head of Automotive Custom Solutions, Amazon
John has been a tremendous partner over my first two years at Amazon in helping to advance innovation and custom projects tied to the Automotive industry. The foundation he has helped build will continue to pay dividends on behalf of our customers for years to come”
Andrew Derr Head of Automotive Sales, Amazon
“Having a previous life in entrepreneurship, there’s always a question about impact you can make whether it’s in the world, your user base and community, and in the product you build. My loop I had with you discussing the opportunity and impact in Design Technology really shifted my way of thinking and left me inspired to take a chance out of my own purview. Since Day One, you’ve challenged the way I think yet let me arrive at the answer on my own which is a mark of a true leader."
Richard Saethang Co-founder, EventCreate

FAQs

I’ve led diverse, global teams ranging from 1 to 40+ people across multiple continents. My largest leadership role was defining and building Amazon’s Advertising Design Technology organization. Growing it with teams in Seattle, New York, Los Angeles, London, Munich, and Tokyo. What I’m most proud of isn’t just the scale, but the culture of innovation and growth we created and maintained while being distributed.

Currently, I’m head of UX and Research for Amazon Autos, a new vehicle sales initiative. It involves orchestrating a complex array of 15+ work-streams, from staffing to design reviews, while creating durable mechanisms for both buyers and sellers. I thrive on turning blank canvases into tangible solutions which can later be refined.

While serving as general manager of the Automotive Advertising team in 2019, I drove YoY growth by listening to customers, identifying new opportunities, hiring key talent, and executing against a clear vision. This work contributed to Amazon’s expanded automotive ventures and done during the COVID-19 pandemic.

I’ve had over 30 different jobs. From being a Santa Claus impersonator to a auto parts delivery person, each role taught me something valuable about the customer experience. Some of my favorites include:

  • Audio Engineer
  • Video editor
  • Cinematographer & Photographer
  • Land Surveyor’s Assistant
  • Power Washer & Landscaper
  • Sign maker
  • Bartender

Each role taught me something unique about the customer, problem-solving, and human interaction. Being a bartender taught me to read people and manage difficult situations, quickly. Working in audio taught me how to support others art with an attention to detail. Even delivering appliances taught me about customer experience, supply chain management and logistics.

I’m passionate about building things that matter. Whether it’s developing a new customer experience, growing and developing a team, or crafting a new piece of furniture, I believe in creating lasting value.

Some things I look for are: 1) Clear storytelling and context setting 2) Customer focus 3) A clear design process 4) Attention to details and craft 5) Ownership (specifically what you did) 6) Results and 7) Time management

I believe in creating diverse teams with complementary skills. My experience managing teams has taught me that the best innovation comes from mixing different perspectives and backgrounds. I focus on maintaining clear communication across time zones and having a strong operational rigor with closed loop mechanisms defined and well understood.

I’m a father, husband, musician, and continuous learner. I believe in maintaining healthy boundaries. Everybody has a unique situation and I work with them individually to find a way to make it work for them, the business and customers.

Have a question? Reach out directly.

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