Jeff Blackburn
Jeff Blackburn, an Amazon veteran and current senior vice president of global media and entertainment at the retailer, plans to retire in January.
Blackburn has been with the US giant for over 20 years, and after last year’s sabbatical, took on his latest assignment covering directing for Prime Video and Amazon Studios.
He also oversees the podcast divisions of Wondery, games, music, game streamers Twitch, Audible, and reports to Amazon CEO Andrew Jassy.
The appointment marked a return to Amazon for Blackburn, who had been with the company since 1998 and was central to Amazon’s streaming efforts until taking a year off in 2019.
The CEO had little film or TV experience, so his latest appointment was seen as a strategic move ahead of Jussie’s top job at Amazon.
Blackburn’s arrival comes a year after Amazon hired Mike Hopkins, former chairman of Sony Pictures Television and former Hulu CEO, to oversee the company’s video and entertainment business.
He will head up Prime Video, Amazon Studios and MGM, which were recently incorporated into the entertainment structure under Jennifer Salke. She reports to Hopkins, who now reports to Jussie, while Steve Boom heads up Audible, Twitch, and Amazon Games efforts, as well as his previous music and podcast stints.
In a note to staff, Jassy said: Both Mike and Steve are excellent and experienced leaders and I look forward to working with them (and their team) further. “