Amazon Automotive
2019-current
In 2019, I stepped into the role of General Manager for Automotive Custom Advertising, marking the beginning of a transformative journey in Amazon automotive. My vision was clear: drive innovation, create new customer value, and establish Amazon as a marketplace in automotive digital experiences.
The Hyundai showroom
The conceptualization, design and development of the new Showroom product represented a watershed moment for our team. Hyundai became our first customer, validating our approach to reimagining automotive digital engagement. This wasn’t just a product launch — it was a strategic reinvention of how automotive brands could connect with potential customers where they shop.
Technological innovation and growth
As General Manager, I managed a team spanning creative, design, program, product, and engineering. Our vertical experienced unprecedented growth, achieving 100% year-over-year revenue expansion. Coming from my design technology background, I encouraged the team to adopt new technologies, becoming the first to integrate Zerolight’s real-time 3D renderer with Mitsubishi on Amazon. The campaign results were a success in that it was the first automotive model reveal on Amazon Live and had 599.6K Live views (over 2x better than goal) and over 48K sweepstakes entries.
Leadership and team development
Building a world-class team was at the heart of our success. During the challenging period of the COVID-19 pandemic, I personally hired 50% of our team—10 individual contributors across five cities: Seattle, New York, Los Angeles, Detroit, and Minneapolis. Each hire was strategic, focusing not just on immediate needs but on long-term potential and innovation capacity.
Our team supported eight-figure annualized revenue with forecast models projecting continued 100% year-over-year growth. We weren’t just the largest non-endemic vertical in the program; we were setting new standards for automotive digital advertising.
Strategic relationships
I spearheaded the early concepts of automotive becoming an endemic offering on Amazon. DealerConnect was a concept where dealerships list inventory on Amazon.com and customers would participate in a reverse auction. This work involved maintaining deep, collaborative relationships across multiple Amazon teams—Sales, Product, Engineering, Marketing, Legal, PR, and Policy.
Amazon Autos: Expanding the automotive vision
As the automotive landscape continued to evolve, I became a key member of the Amazon Autos leadership team, pushing the limits while entering a world of digital automotive retail. The program represented a bold reimagining of vehicle sales, and I was at the forefront of this transformation. In a pioneering moment, I became the first purchaser of a vehicle on Amazon in the state of Pennsylvania — a symbolic act that demonstrated our commitment to revolutionizing automotive sales.
I took personal responsibility for developing comprehensive documentation, including a PRFAQ (Press Release/Frequently Asked Questions) for how we can expand Amazon Garage. This forward-thinking approach ensured that our vision was not just a fleeting concept but a well-articulated, strategic roadmap. We weren’t just supporting dealers in selling vehicles; we were creating an end-to-end journey including vehicle ownership and loyalty. The approach went beyond traditional sales channels, leveraging Amazon’s technological capabilities to create a comprehensive, user-centric automotive experience.
Industry recognition and new job classification
One of the most significant achievements was leading my report in creating the new Creative Marketing job classification at Amazon. By 2021, this classification encompassed over 300 employees, with the majority at L5, L6 and L7 levels. This wasn’t just a simple job change — it was a mountain of work involving HR, leadership and compensation teams. A statement in evolving creativity as a defined role within a large enterprise.
User-Centric approach
Investing in user testing was a cornerstone of our strategy. We didn’t just develop products; we developed experiences. Our approach was fundamentally about understanding user needs, pain points, and potential, translating those insights into innovative digital solutions.
Transition and continued impact
In 2022, I transitioned to Senior Manager of UX and Research, bringing my strategic insights and innovative approach to a broader role. This move was an opportunity to continue reshaping how Amazon thinks about user experience and design within the automotive industry.
Key achievements
- Launched new Showroom product with Hyundai as first customer
- Achieved 100% YOY revenue growth
- Hired and developed top talent across five cities
- Created Creative Marketing job classification
- Pioneered automotive digital advertising innovations
- Became first vehicle purchaser on Amazon in Pennsylvania
- Developed Amazon Garage ownership and loyalty concepts
Legacy and forward vision
More than revenue or technological achievements, our work was about reimagining the intersection of automotive retail, digital experience, and user-centric design. We didn’t just adapt to the market—we actively shaped its future.
To the innovative teams, visionary leaders, and passionate professionals who collaborated, challenged, and transformed the automotive digital landscape—this journey was a collective achievement of creativity, strategy, and relentless innovation.
