Amazon loses two Black executives, including one on leadership team

Amazon is losing two top executives who lead warehouses and transportation.

Alicia Boler-Davis, senior vice president of global customer fulfillment and a member of the company’s leadership team, and David Bozeman, VP of Amazon Transportation Services, are departing the company, according to people familiar with the matter. Both were among the company’s few top Black executives. Amazon has made progress on diversity in its executive ranks in recent years, but still only 5.5% of its senior leaders were Black as of the end of 2021, according to company data.

The latest departures come after Amazon announced earlier this month that CEO of Worldwide Consumer Dave Clark will resign on July 1. On Tuesday, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy announced long-time Amazon executive Doug Herrington will take over as the new chief executive of Worldwide Amazon Stores.

Jassy also said Amazon was changing the name of the consumer business to Amazon Stores, adding it would also bring the operations group under a single leader, John Felton.

Boler-Davis and Bozeman “have decided to explore new opportunities outside Amazon,” according to an email from Felton viewed by CNBC.

Boler-Davis, who joined Amazon in 2019 from General Motors, was a contender for the job given to Felton. She had “been an impressive and impactful leader through an unprecedented time,” Felton’s email said. She is also the only Black member of Amazon’s “S-team,” which is the company’s senior leadership team. 

Bozeman’s business unit oversaw transportation modes, including vans and Flex delivery drivers.

“Dave has been with Amazon for over five years and helped rapidly expand Amazon Transportation, particularly during Covid,” Felton’s email read. “He has been instrumental in building and developing our middle mile network and setting us up for success.”

Felton’s email went on to say he wants to “unite teams” and is therefore, “organizing teams around Safety, Fulfillment Centers, Transportation, Emerging Countries, Robotics, Supply Chain Technology, and Global Transportation.”

CNBC technology reporter Annie Palmer contributed to this report.