Amazon Shakes Up Leadership: Amit Agarwal Expands Role to Lead Critical Seller Services Amid Growing Scrutiny

In a significant leadership reshuffle, Amazon has announced that Amit Agarwal, a seasoned veteran with nearly three decades at the company, will take on expanded responsibilities overseeing the e-commerce giant’s Seller Partner Services—one of the most vital and controversial divisions within the sprawling tech empire. The move comes as Amazon continues to navigate increasing regulatory scrutiny while doubling down on its third-party marketplace, which now accounts for a staggering 62% of all units sold on the platform.

A Strategic Leadership Shift

Amazon revealed that Dharmesh Mehta, the current Vice President of Worldwide Selling Partner Services, will step down from his role in March to become CEO Andy Jassy’s next Technical Advisor (TA). This position, often referred to as the CEO’s “shadow,” has historically served as a proving ground for Amazon’s most promising executives. Notably, Jassy himself once served as Jeff Bezos’ Technical Advisor before ascending to the CEO role—making this transition particularly noteworthy for Mehta’s career trajectory.

Meanwhile, Alex Dunlap, Jassy’s current TA, will transition to an undisclosed leadership position within Amazon, signaling continued executive movement at the highest levels of the company.

Amit Agarwal: The New Steward of Amazon’s Marketplace

Agarwal’s expanded role is nothing short of monumental. He will now lead not only Amazon’s international emerging stores across 10 countries—including India, Brazil, and South Africa—but also the critical Seller Partner Services division and customer trust organizations. This consolidation of power under Agarwal represents Amazon’s strategic emphasis on protecting and growing its third-party marketplace ecosystem.

With 27 years at Amazon under his belt, Agarwal brings deep institutional knowledge to the role. He previously served as Bezos’ Technical Advisor from 2007 to 2009 and was instrumental in launching Amazon’s marketplace in India in 2013—a move that transformed the company’s presence in one of the world’s fastest-growing e-commerce markets. Since 2020, he has been a member of Amazon’s elite S-team senior leadership group.

The High-Stakes World of Third-Party Selling

The timing of this leadership change is particularly significant given the immense scale and importance of Amazon’s third-party marketplace. Last quarter alone, the business generated $42.5 billion in revenue, according to Amazon’s financial reports. This segment has become the engine driving Amazon’s e-commerce dominance, with independent sellers now accounting for the majority of products sold on the platform.

However, this success has not come without challenges. The division has faced intense regulatory scrutiny, most notably in a federal antitrust lawsuit that alleges Amazon has engaged in anticompetitive practices affecting third-party sellers. The company vigorously disputes these allegations, but the case underscores the complex relationship between Amazon and the millions of businesses that depend on its platform.

Mehta’s Legacy: Fighting Fraud and Empowering Sellers

During his tenure, Dharmesh Mehta made significant strides in addressing some of the most pressing issues facing Amazon’s seller community. Under his leadership, Selling Partner Services dramatically escalated its fight against counterfeits and fraud, leveraging artificial intelligence and collaborating with law enforcement agencies to protect both sellers and consumers.

Mehta also focused on eliminating seller pain points that had long plagued the platform. Perhaps most notably, he oversaw the end of Amazon’s controversial “commingling” practice, which had mixed inventory from different sellers for fulfillment purposes. This change, which Amazon estimates will save brand owners $600 million annually in workaround costs, represents a major victory for sellers who had long complained about the risks associated with commingling—including receiving counterfeit products when ordering from legitimate brands.

The division also expanded its offerings to sellers, introducing sophisticated logistics solutions, supply chain management tools, and generative AI capabilities designed to help independent businesses compete more effectively on the platform.

What This Means for Amazon’s Future

Agarwal’s appointment signals Amazon’s continued commitment to its third-party marketplace while acknowledging the growing pains that come with managing such a vast ecosystem. His experience launching and scaling Amazon’s operations in India—where the company faced intense local competition and complex regulatory environments—will be invaluable as he takes on responsibility for the broader seller services organization.

The consolidation of these responsibilities under one leader also suggests Amazon is seeking more cohesive strategy and execution across its international markets and seller services. With regulatory pressure mounting and competition from platforms like Shopify intensifying, Amazon appears to be positioning itself to more aggressively defend and expand its marketplace dominance.

As Agarwal steps into this expanded role, all eyes will be on how he balances the competing interests of Amazon’s vast seller community, its own retail operations, and the regulatory challenges that continue to loom large over the company’s business practices. One thing is certain: the stakes have never been higher for the team responsible for managing Amazon’s third-party marketplace—and now, that responsibility rests squarely on Amit Agarwal’s shoulders.

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