Blue Origin, the aerospace company founded by Jeff Bezos, is making a major leadership change. According to CNBC, the CEO of Blue Origin, Bob Smith, will be replaced by outgoing Amazon executive Dave Limp.
Smith is retiring effective December 4th, but will remain with the company until January 2nd to ensure a smooth transition. The news was announced in a note to Blue Origin staff written by Smith and Bezos.
Limp’s arrival at Blue Origin comes at a crucial time for the company, as they are in the midst of various space projects. These include ramping up production of their BE-4 rocket engines, resuming flights of their space tourism rocket New Shepard, launching their next-generation New Glenn rocket, and delivering on a recently-won NASA contract for a crewed lunar lander.
A spokesperson for Blue Origin praised Limp as a “proven innovator with a customer-first mindset” and highlighted his extensive experience in the high-tech industry and growing complex organizations.
Limp’s resignation from Amazon came as a surprise, as he had been with the company for over 13 years and was a top lieutenant of CEO Andy Jassy. He played a key role in the development and launch of Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant and Echo smart speakers.
Amazon has not announced a replacement for Limp yet, but reports suggest that Microsoft product chief Panos Panay is expected to be hired for the position.
In a message to Blue Origin employees, Bezos expressed excitement about Limp joining the company and thanked Smith for his significant contributions to the company’s growth and transformation. Bezos highlighted the expansion of Blue Origin’s team, facilities, and sales orders under Smith’s leadership.
Smith also sent a message to Blue Origin employees, expressing pride in the company’s achievements and confidence in its future success. He assured that the transition to the new CEO would be flawless and emphasized his commitment to remaining part of the Blue Origin team.
This news marks a significant change in the leadership of Blue Origin and comes as the company continues to make strides in the commercial space industry.