John Schoettler, the Amazon global real estate leader who oversaw the extraordinary growth of the company’s footprint for more than two decades, is retiring at the end of 2024 after 23 years.
Schoettler led the expansion of Amazon’s office space from about 1 million square feet when joined in January 2001 to more than 65 million square feet in more than 60 countries today. This includes the company’s expansion to a regional headquarters encompassing Seattle and Bellevue, Wash., and its creation of a second headquarters in Arlington, Va.
He also oversaw the company’s real estate initiatives during Amazon’s past clashes with Seattle civic leaders, the shift to remote work during the pandemic, and efforts to reconfigure office space to accommodate hybrid work. His retirement comes as Amazon prepares to bring employees back five days a week next year.
Schoettler will be succeeded by Shannon Loew as the vice president in charge of the company’s Global Real Estate & Facilities team.
A 20-year real estate industry veteran, Loew joined Amazon in January 2023. Amazon says he started overseeing the day-to-day operations of Global Real Estate & Facilities team earlier this year.
Schoettler announced his retirement Thursday at a Puget Sound Business Journal event where he was recognized for his lifetime achievements as an Amazon executive and in the community.
“We thank John for his over two decades of leadership at Amazon,” the company said in a statement provided to GeekWire. “On top of building collaborative office spaces for our global corporate employees, John’s vision helped to embed Amazon in the fabric of the communities in which we invest, supporting downtown economies around the globe.”
Amazon cited community initiatives spearheaded by Schoettler including the Mary’s Place Family Center at the company’s Seattle headquarters, and the Neighborhood Small Business Relief Fund that provided financial assistance to small businesses around Amazon during the pandemic, when employees were working from home.
Schoettler is on the board of Seattle Children’s Hospital, and the Board of Regents at Washington State University. He previously was chair of the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce, and a member of the boards of the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce, the Downtown Seattle Association, and Cascade Public Media (KCTS9).
