Wilke, who joined the company in 1999, now oversees pricing, merchandising, and marketing for Amazon's North American operations, which accounted for $5.9 billion in sales last quarter. He's been largely credited with streamlining the company behind-the-scenes, which included automating more tasks and focusing on worker safety at distribution centers.
In his previous role as VP and general manager of worldwide operations, Wilke traveled with Bezos one week a year visiting company sites. One such trip to Kentucky led to a program called C.R.A.P., or "can't realize any profit," focusing on goods that weren't making money. If Amazon couldn't find a solution to change that, say, in the packing and shipping process, the company stopped selling the item.
