July 23 (UPI) -- Jay Carney, the former White House press secretary under President Barack Obama, will leave Amazon for Airbnb, the vacation rental company announced Friday.
Carney served as the White House press secretary from 2011 to 2014 after two decades as a political journalist with Time Magazine. He joined Amazon as senior vice president of global corporate affairs in 2015, serving as the company's chief spokesperson.
He will begin serving as Airbnb's global head of policy and communications starting in September, reporting to co-founder and chief executive Brian Chesky. Carney will be based in Washington, D.C.
"Jay has worked at the highest levels of both government and technology, serving as a strategic counselor to the President, and at one of the largest tech companies in the world," Chesky said in a statement.
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"When you combine that with the two decades he spent on the ground as a journalist, he brings a deep understanding of the needs of multiple stakeholders. Jay is also a passionate advocate for community engagement and is committed to ensuring that Airbnb is a force for good."
Carney's exit from Amazon comes as the shopping giant faces challenges including unionization drives and inflation as well as resignations among the company's upper echelons.
Dave Clark, the company's retail chief, resigned in June after spending 23 years with the company having joined Amazon in 1999. His resignation was followed by senior vice president of global customer fulfillment Alicia Boler-Davis and David Bozeman, vice president of Amazon Transportation Services.
Carney told Amazon staff in a memo obtained by CNBC that the teams he ran are in "very good hands."
"Together all of you will continue to make Amazon a company that does big, positive things for its customers, its employees and its communities around the world," Carney wrote in the memo.
Andy Jassy, who took over as Amazon CEO from Jeff Bezos last year, said in another memo obtained by the outlet that Amazon will "begin a search immediately" for Carney's replacement.
