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Executives who work for Amazon's logistics kingpin Dave Clark become 'Dave whisperers' to avoid directly speaking to the brash boss (AMZN)

REUTERS/Lindsey Wasson

  • The executives who work for Amazon SVP Dave Clark say their boss is "brilliant" — but his straightforward attitude inspires an unusual corporate culture.
  • Too spooked to communicate directly with Clark, one said they must become "Dave whisperers" to analyze what Clark is directing their teams.
  • Disagreeing with Clark can stir up his "pointed" temper, some workers said. 
  • Clark, in a statement to Business Insider, countered that: "The team challenges me all the time and I love it – they're world class and I'm regularly in awe of the talent, big ideas and backbone that they bring to their work serving customers every day."
  • Read the full feature on Amazon SVP Dave Clark, and how he rose from a Kentucky warehouse manager to one of the most important executives in America.

The man who leads Amazon's sprawling logistics empire previously had his eye on overtaking UPS and FedEx. Then, the coronavirus pandemic happened.

The virus drove governments worldwide to implement mandatory mass quarantines. In the US, where nearly every state instituted a lockdown, that drove online ordering to unusual highs. The first three months of the year is typically sleepy at Amazon, but the company ultimately had to rev up hiring and productivity to accommodate the historic demand.

Dave Clark, senior vice president of worldwide operations at Amazon, is at the center of fulfilling those orders. 

Business Insider spoke to more than 20 current and former Amazon employees who have worked with Clark, who has been at Amazon since 1999. They detailed his rise within the company as well as his decision-making during the pandemic. Most spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the press.

Many described him as a visionary leader with a loyal following. And while some see him as an intimidating figure, who could set irrationally high standards, others say there is no one better suited to lead the company through this unprecedented crisis.

"He's very clever," one former Amazon executive told Business Insider. "Even if he doesn't know the details, he can figure them out very quickly."

'The storm blows over, then you come back out again'

Some of his reports said his straightforward demeanor inspired an unusual corporate culture. Too intimidated to ask Clark questions directly, some fashioned themselves into "Dave whisperers," another former executive shared.

"Instead of asking him directly, people would say, 'Well, Dave said this so we've got to do all this,'" the former executive told Business Insider. "It's very black and white how they perceive those comments coming from Dave. People are scared."

They pointed to an episode a few years back in which Clark was visiting a warehouse with unique specifications. The senior vice president made an off-the-cuff remark along the lines of: "This is great. They should all be like this."

Rather than shaking off the remark, the team chased warehouses with the exact specifications for six to 12 months, even though Clark never mentioned it again. The team stopped after they hoped that Clark forgot his comment. 

"It's pretty common theme there," they said. "You let things pass, then you revisit. The storm blows over, then you come back out again."

In a comment provided by Amazon's public relations team, Clark said he's actually keen on getting pushback from his reports.

"The team challenges me all the time and I love it – they're world class and I'm regularly in awe of the talent, big ideas and backbone that they bring to their work serving customers every day," Clark told Business Insider in a statement.

"As a leader my most important role is ensuring we're hiring and developing the best talent in the world, and that includes encouraging everyone to speak up with their questions, comments and concerns," he added."

Why employees avoid defying Clark

Avoiding pushing back on Clark may not be efficient, but employees say they have reason to be yielding. History is on Clark's side when it comes to being right about how to run a massive logistics operation like Amazon.

Under Clark's leadership, Amazon has achieved a feat unique to any other retailer; it's able to bring a shipload of goods from a factory in China to your doorstep all through its own network and capabilities. Amazon, already America's No. 4 largest delivery company, is now threatening UPS and FedEx at their own game. Clark has been instrumental in that decades-long journey. 

For other reasons too, the risk of defying Clark, who once described himself on a conference call as "The Sniper" for his ability to root out shoddy data from massive documents, was grave. 

Clark's "pointed" temper is also well-known among Amazon's employees, several told Business Insider. One shared that he's seen Clark tell executives in meetings who were disagreeing with him, "I don't think you're up to the task."

"He would grind through people in a matter of months," the former executive said. "People were tired of dealing with a tyrant all day long. He took great pride in that."

Despite the critiques, the Florida native is otherwise seen as "brilliant" and even charismatic. 

"[Clark] is an operator's operator," said David Glick, a former Amazon VP who is now CTO of logistics startup Flexe. "He leads from the front and dives deep into details that most companies don't."

Eugene Kim contributed to this report. 

Read the full feature on Amazon SVP Dave Clark, and how he rose from a Kentucky warehouse manager to one of the most important executives in America.

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