SEATTLE, June 24, 1999 --/PRNewswire/-- Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN), today named Joseph Galli as its president and chief operating officer. Until April, Galli, 41, was the president of Black & Decker's Worldwide Power Tools and Accessories unit, a $3.1 billion business representing nearly 70% of the company's sales. Galli will report to Amazon.com's founder and CEO, Jeff Bezos.
Galli joins Amazon.com after a highly successful 19-year career with Black & Decker where he led a resurgence in the power tools business. His exceptional performance re-established market leadership for the Black & Decker brand as he introduced new products and significantly improved customer service.
"We are thrilled to have Joe at Amazon.com," said Jeff Bezos. "Joe is a star with great customer instincts and true operational excellence. We look forward to having his passion, leadership and motivational skills at the company. Joe cares about customers as much as we do, and his commitment to delivering great customer experience will be a valuable asset."
"Amazon.com is the premier e-commerce company with outstanding potential for continued success," said Joe Galli. "I'm glad to be part of such a terrific team and can't wait to join them in making history."
Known as an enthusiastic and growth-oriented leader, Galli created Black & Decker's global product development system and a world-class global manufacturing and purchasing structure. His responsibilities included marketing, sales, manufacturing, engineering, finance, MIS, purchasing, product service and logistics for the Black & Decker, DeWalt and Elu brands.
Galli received a BS in Business Administration from the University of North Carolina and an MBA from Loyola College.
About Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN), the Internet's No. 1 music, No. 1 video, and No. 1 book retailer, opened its virtual doors on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest SelectionTM with free electronic greeting cards, online auctions, and more than 4.7 million book, music-CD, video, DVD, and computer-game titles. Amazon.com seeks to be the world's most customer-centric company, where people can find and discover anything they may want to buy online. As part of its efforts to provide the best shopping experience for customers, Amazon.com provides secure credit-card payment, personalized recommendations, streamlined ordering through 1-ClickSM technology, and hassle-free auction bidding with Bid-ClickSM.
Amazon.com operates two international Web sites: www.amazon.co.uk in the United Kingdom and www.amazon.de in Germany. Amazon.com also operates PlanetAll (www.planetall.com), a Web-based address book, calendar, and reminder service. It also operates the Internet Movie Database (www.imdb.com), the Web's comprehensive and authoritative source of information on more than 150,000 movies and entertainment programs and 500,000 cast and crew members dating from the birth of film in 1892 to the present. Amazon.com also operates LiveBid.com (www.livebid.com), the sole provider of live-event auctions on the Internet.
In addition, Amazon.com has invested in leading Internet retailers that are improving the lives of customers by making shopping easier and more convenient: drugstore.com, an online retail and information source for health, beauty, wellness, personal care and pharmacy, at www.drugstore.com; Pets.com, the largest pet-supply company on the Internet and a valuable source of free information for pet owners, at www.pets.com; HomeGrocer.com, the first fully integrated Internet grocery-shopping and home-delivery service, with operations in Seattle and Portland, Oregon, at www.homegrocer.com.
This announcement contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties that include, among others, Amazon.com's limited operating history, anticipated losses, unpredictability of future revenues, potential fluctuations in quarterly operating results, seasonality, consumer trends, competition, risks of system interruption, management of potential growth, risks related to auction services, and risks of new business areas, international expansion, business combinations, and strategic alliances. More information about factors that potentially could affect Amazon.com's financial results is included in Amazon.com's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1998 and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 1999.
Amazon.com, Amazon.com Auctions, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.de, Internet Movie Database, PlanetAll, Earth's Biggest Selection, Bid-Click and 1-Click are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc., or its affiliates. All other names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.