Receiving your Amazon package is exciting, and you can thank an LGO. MIT LGO’s relationship with Amazon runs right to the top — literally. From front-line managers all the way up to the company’s most senior leadership, Amazon is brimming with LGO alumni, and has been since the 1990s. The e-commerce giant engages in continuous improvement projects, and many LGO internships focus on optimizing supply chain and operations, web services, and Amazon Robotics.
Chuck Cummings (LGO ’14)
Internship location: Seattle, WA
Research topic: Supply chain
Currently:
Director of Central Operations Process Engineering, Amazon, Louisville, KY
Amazon has a long record of hiring LGO graduates into exciting roles. Employees of the program are Amazon’s next generation of General Managers, Directors, and VPs. In addition, LGOs also have the opportunity to work across Amazon’s portfolio in Amazon Web Services or Amazon Robotics.
Rotational and Leadership Development: The Pathways Operations Leadership Development Program (OPS): Pathways is a five-year program designed to rapidly develop talented MBA or Masters-level graduates with the skills they need to be an Amazon General Managers and Directors. Pathways members will develop leadership skills and gain a deep knowledge of the business through a series of progressively challenging operational assignments across Amazon’s growing supply chain network.
Frequent job titles at hire: GenAI Data Scientist, Pathways Operations Manager, Product Manager, Senior Product Manager, Senior Product Manager- Technical, Senior Program Manager
Sally Smith (LGO ’12)
Director, AWS Global Services Strategy & Operations
While at LGO: MBA and SM Engineering Systems
Previous studies: Washington University in St. Louis, Mechanical Engineering
Following the LGO program, Sally led robotic manufacturing development and production system improvement for the 777 and 777X airplanes at The Boeing Company. She then joined Amazon, where she was Director of Fulfillment for Amazon’s flagship robotics fulfillment center. During the COVID pandemic in 2020-2021, Sally served as Director of WorkingWell within Amazon’s workplace health organization, creating and scaling wellness programs for hundreds of thousands of employees worldwide. She then led a 2,500-person global organization to deliver technical support to all AWS customers. In her current role she leads strategic integration of business units within a new global services organization.
David Semko (LGO ’16)
Senior Manager, Amazon Logistics
While at LGO: MBA and SM Engineering Systems
Previous studies: Duke University, Biomedical/Electrical Engineering, and US Naval Postgraduate School, Electrical and Electronics Engineering
David joined LGO after serving as an officer in the US Navy nuclear surface fleet. Following graduation, he joined Amazon through the Pathways Program, and took on increasingly broad operations responsibilities in three different Amazon fulfillment centers. In 2021 he joined the Amazon Logistics organization as a Senior Manager, transitioning in 2023 to a Principal role.
