Jay Carney | Influence 100
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Jay Carney

SVP, Global Corporate Affairs
Amazon
US

@JayCarney

 

Former Obama White House press secretary Jay Carney took on the newly-created role of senior VP of worldwide corporate affairs at Amazon in 2015, as the retail powerhouse addressed numerous public affairs issues, including sales taxes, transportation and intellectual property.

Highlights of Carney’s tenure include his help playing matchmaker in one of the most fascinating and consequential business deals of 2017: Amazon's purchase of Whole Foods. When, less than a year into his tenure the New York Times published a somewhat epic takedown of Amazon’s work culture, Carney took the unprecedented step of publishing his response, “What The New York Times Didn’t Tell You.” on Medium. The New Yorker, among other publications, analyzed his response and what this ultimately means for the balance of power between journalists and corporate spokespeople.

Carney was White House press secretary for three years before stepping down in June 2014. Before that he was director of communications for vice president Joe Biden. Carney previously served as Washington bureau chief for Time magazine, a post he held from September 2005 until December 2008, after joining the magazine in 1989.