Ring Founder Siminoff Steps Down to Become ‘Chief Inventor’

The founder and CEO of Amazon’s Ring says he’s stepping down.

Jamie Siminoff announced his departure in an entry on the video doorbell company’s blog Wednesday (March 1), saying he’ll take on the role of “chief inventor” March 22.

“Invention is my true passion,” he wrote. “I am constantly looking at how we can adapt to deliver for our neighbors, which is what we’ve always called our customers. This is why I decided to shift my role to Chief Inventor and bring on a new CEO.”

Taking his place is Elizabeth Hamren, chief operating officer at Discord. In addition to her work for the chat site, she is also a veteran of Microsoft and Meta.

“Liz has a long history in consumer devices and subscription services, building and launching some of the most innovative and beloved consumer products from Oculus to Xbox and more,” Siminoff wrote.

In addition to Ring, Hamren will also oversee Blink, another Amazon-owned doorbell operation, Amazon Sidewalk, a shared network that helps Amazon devices work, and Amazon Key, its in-home delivery service.

This is happening as Amazon is reportedly increasing its investment in ultrafast delivery to fend off increased competition from rivals.

A report this week by The Wall Street Journal notes that Amazon has opened 45 “same-day site” warehouses in the last four years, with plans to expand that number to at least 150.

The leadership change at Ring comes weeks after reports that Apple was developing devices designed to compete with Amazon’s — and Google’s — dominance in the smart home sector, including a wall-mounted tablet that can control functions like lights and thermostats.

Google and Amazon remain leaders of that sector, PYMNTS wrote in January, even as Amazon cut staff in its devices division.

Meanwhile, research by PYMNTS has seen a rising demand for smart home technologies, according to the report, “12 Months Of The ConnectedEconomy,” published in December.

“By November 2022, 33% of all consumers were likely to be using smart home technologies, and half of all consumers were using at least one,” the report said. “This means that roughly 13 million more consumers nationwide were using such technologies in November 2022 than in November 2021.”

PYMNTS search found that 75 million consumers said they used voice assistants such as Alexa and Google Home to automate chores, create shopping lists or carry out online purchases. In all, the study found that 86 million consumers, or roughly a third of America’s adult population, are using some form of smart home technology.