If there's one lesson we can take away from Amazon over the last 16 years, it's not to underestimate it. Since CEO Jeff Bezos set up shop in 1994, the e-commerce giant has proven repeatedly it can enter a new space and dominate it. Consumers flock to Amazon now for aggressively priced e-books and goods, then have those goods shipped two-day or same day; companies use the company's cloud-based services for day-to-day operations.
Low pricing, a wide catalog and fast delivery explain why sales continue to rise 40% on average each quarter. It also means Amazon's aggressive expansion could pay off in the long run, despite concerns over low margins and items like the Kindle Fire, which are sold at a loss. The company is, as its CEO would argue, investing in its future.
But Bezos isn't alone in calling the shots from the company's 1.7 million square-foot headquarters in downtown Seattle. Here's a "who's who" of Amazon's top brass.
