Devin Wenig is stepping down as CEO of eBay, the company announced Wednesday.
Wenig has led the company since 2015 and helped it evolve in the face of competition with Amazon and other e-commerce rivals. The announcement didn’t go into detail about why Wenig is leaving, but the executive gave some hints in a series of tweets.
In the past few weeks it became clear that I was not on the same page as my new Board. Whenever that happens, its best for everyone to turn that page over. It has been an incredible privilege to lead one of the worlds great businesses for the past 8 years.
— Devin Wenig (@devinwenig) September 25, 2019
we grew, and transformed, and added to one of the most special communities in the world. To the sellers, the consumers and the employees, you have made a lifelong impression on me that i wont soon forget. @ebay is an example of why we shouldn't give up on big tech companies
— Devin Wenig (@devinwenig) September 25, 2019
it stands for economic democracy, and has a culture and community that are examples of how technology can enable, empower, and bring us together. I will be forever grateful for having been given the honor to lead this special place. and I will always, always, be in @ebay's corner
— Devin Wenig (@devinwenig) September 25, 2019
Scott Schenkel, eBay’s CFO and a senior vice president, will serve as the interim chief executive until a new permanent leader is found. Filling in for Schenkel as CFO will be Andy Cring, eBay’s vice president of global financial planning and analysis.
Wenig spoke at the 2018 GeekWire Summit, saying he doesn’t want to compete with Amazon directly, though he acknowledged the companies do often jockey for buyers and sellers on their platform. The e-commerce world is big enough for a number of players, including both Amazon and eBay, and Wenig wants his company to develop its own identity.
“I don’t want to compete with Amazon; I want to get as far away from Amazon as I can,” Wenig said at the Summit. “I want us to stand for something fundamentally different. I want eBay to be a winner in discovery-based shopping. I want it to be a place where people think of first for the things they love, not just the things they need.”
However, the two companies are on a legal collision course as eBay last month sued its e-commerce rival, alleging that Amazon managers conspired to poach e-commerce sellers through eBay’s own messaging platform.
eBay recently unveiled a new logistics program to speed up shipments between buyers and sellers. It’s a little different than the programs Amazon and Walmart are investing heavily in because it relies on third-party logistics partners to handle the shipping duties.
eBay to many may evoke memories of an earlier generation of e-commerce. But the company continues to thrive, with more than 182 million active shoppers and close to $100 billion in annual sales taking place on the platform.
