From Captain to Amazon Head of EU Start-up Development
Will's story
What did you do in the military?/What was your last role in the Military?
I was a Captain in The Light Dragoons, an Armoured Reconnaissance unit in the British Army. My roles included being a Troop Leader and an Intelligence Officer and Plans Officer on two deployments to Afghanistan. My last role was as Directing Staff at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.
Why did you apply to Amazon?
I did not join Amazon directly from the military. Instead, I became a management consultant, and when I did not find that fulfilling, I applied for an MBA. Whilst at Business School, I learned about opportunities within Amazon's Consumer business, and was particularly attracted to the ethos that the company espoused, driven by the Leadership Principles. They really resonated with my time in the military, and made me believe that I could enjoy a fulfilling career at the firm.
What role are you doing?
I am Head of EU Start-up Development within Amazon Launchpad. I lead a team of 5 directly, and a further 5 indirectly, responsible for recruiting innovative start-ups for Amazon Marketplace, and helping them ramp their sales as quickly as possible. In this way we showcase the most exciting new products to our end customers; the consumer.
How did you find the recruitment process? Any advice for candidates?
I really enjoyed it. Behavioural questions are a great way to highlight your military career. My advice would be to know the Leadership Principles inside out, and understand who your 'Customer' was in the military. By Customer, we do not mean an end consumer in a shop, but rather the person who we are serving. In military terms, this could be your commanding officer, a local elder or whoever is in receipt of your intelligence reports!
What have you learnt in your time at Amazon?
That you can still achieve results despite not wearing uniform or a suit (and we never do either!)
What has been the biggest difference between the Military & Amazon?
I could not have imaged working for a tech firm when leaving the military, especially in a corporate role. However, what has surprised me are not the differences, but the similarities. From the Leadership Principles, to our planning processes, to our emphasis on Delivering Results, with so many overlaps service leavers and veterans should definitely consider roles in the Consumer Business.
Job Description (formal description)
Head of EU Start-up Development.