We’re working hard every day to be the best place for people to have satisfying and fulfilling long-term careers. In 2020, Amazon promoted more than 35,000 Operations employees and we continue to invest in our people. Meet some of our recently promoted hourly employees and see how they reacted when they first heard the news.
Sam, newly-promoted Amazon Air area manager
Rockford, Illinois
"I'm able to help guide my [new team] and tell them, 'Hey, dreams do come true!'"—Sam
Sam has been working with Amazon for four years, and has been battling cancer on and off for all four of them. But that hasn’t slowed her down. According to Sam, Amazon is a huge family. Her coworkers always make sure that she is feeling well, and with their support, she quickly worked her way up within an Amazon Air site.
Being an area manager has been her goal since day one when she joined as a seasonal employee, and she recently applied for the position. Her managers and coworkers were so excited for her that they decided to surprise her with the news that she earned the promotion. Sam's take: "I'm really…excited, just really…happy that I'm able to provide for my husband and two kids."
"Sam is one of the kindest people you could wish for, and very compassionate with the associates," said Sam's manager Ryan. "She takes time with any associate that needs help, and she makes sure she takes care of them. So, I'm very excited for her."
Levi, newly-promoted Amazon Air area manager
San Bernardino, California
"This is exactly what I want to do ... I'm just really excited. It's time to start a new chapter.”—Levi
Levi started at Amazon as a seasonal employee, hungry to learn. His team recognized that in him and invested time to help him grow within the company. When he recently applied for his next promotion to move from an hourly to salaried role as an area manager, they helped him through the process—and his dedication paid off.
"Levi goes above and beyond," said Patrick, one of Levi’s mentors. "He's done a lot of things when it comes to driving the business and being a great leader for the transportation team."
Levi's new role as a transportation area manager puts him in charge of the transportation team at his site. The position itself is close to Levi's heart, as he loves cars (Japanese domestic market cars to be specific).
"Honestly, the opportunity at Amazon is endless. You could work your way from literally an entry-level employee up to a senior-level manager," Levi's manager, Kiro said. "I think the sky's the limit [for Levi]."
Marta, newly-promoted Amazon Fresh zone lead
Franconia, Virginia
“I didn’t know where this job would take me. It’s led me to a great company and great people that I work with. [This promotion] means a lot.”—Marta
Marta started working with Amazon in 2020 as a Whole Foods shopper. She later became one of the first hourly employees at a new Amazon Fresh location, and soon after, her managers talked to her about growth opportunities and how her role could become a career. Marta expressed enthusiasm to move up to the next level, and her managers encouraged her to apply for a zone lead position.
Zone leads are the backbone of each department within the store, and we’re excited to see Marta thrive in this new role—as are her co-workers. They love being on the same shift with her because everything flows, everything works, and she always helps other employees.
“Our entire team is very excited about Marta getting promoted, because she totally deserves it. She really, really worked hard [at] learning about every department,” said Nellie, Marta’s manager. “Marta is always eager to learn about the dash cart, front end, customer service … she's a true team player.”
Tiana, newly-promoted fulfillment center area manager
Baltimore, Maryland
“[This promotion means] everything. She’s trying to stay and stick with Amazon. She says it’s going to take her places.”—Tambra, Tiana’s mother
Tiana just passed her five-year anniversary at Amazon. She started as an hourly employee packing customer orders and then moved to sorting, where she sorted items into customer orders. When she asked if she could learn something new, her managers moved her to problem solving, where she came up with solutions to challenges across departments in the fulfillment center. After about 18 months, she was promoted to be an outbound flow process assistant. As her manager Rob said, “Tiana pretty much controls the entire operation.”
Tiana recently applied for a promotion to an area manager, and to share the news that she earned the promotion, her team secretly planned a celebration. Her co-workers, managers, and even her family joined in on the surprise.
“When I tell you this girl goes above and beyond, she goes above and beyond for every single department,” said Sarah, one of Tiana’s co-workers. “She's always helpful, always happy, joyful, with smile on her face. [It’s a] super well-deserved [promotion].”
“At our fulfillment center, and really all of Amazon, we're committed to promoting compassionate leaders who have a people-first mentality, and Tiana certainly fits that mold,” Rob said. “That's going to be what leads her to be successful at the next level as well. I'm excited for what she does next.”
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