Jamie Iannone

Jamie Iannone
Iannone in 2019
Jamie Iannone
Born	Template:Birth year and age
Nationality	American
Occupation	Businessman
Title	President and CEO, eBay
Education	Stanford University (MBA)

Jamie Iannone (born c. 1973/1974) is an American business executive who has served as the president and chief executive officer of eBay Inc. since April 2020. Before assuming leadership of one of the world's largest online marketplaces, Iannone held senior positions at Walmart, where he served as chief operating officer of its e-commerce division, and earlier in his career spent more than a decade at eBay in various executive roles. His appointment marked a return to the company where he had previously built much of his career in e-commerce. Under his leadership, eBay has pursued a strategy focused on reducing friction for buyers and sellers, investing heavily in artificial intelligence technologies, and targeting enthusiast communities in categories such as collectibles, luxury goods, and auto parts. Iannone's tenure has coincided with a period of significant transformation for eBay, as the company has sought to differentiate itself in an increasingly competitive e-commerce landscape through technology-driven initiatives and strategic acquisitions, including the announced purchase of secondhand clothing resale platform Depop for $1.2 billion.

Education

Iannone attended Princeton University for his undergraduate studies. He later earned a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Stanford University. Both institutions are among the most selective in the United States, and Iannone's educational background in business provided a foundation for his subsequent career in e-commerce and technology leadership.

Career

Early career at eBay

Before his appointment as CEO, Iannone had a lengthy prior history with eBay. He spent more than a decade at the company in various executive positions, gaining deep experience in online marketplace operations and e-commerce strategy. His extensive tenure at eBay during this earlier period gave him familiarity with the company's culture, technology platform, and seller and buyer communities—knowledge that would later inform his approach upon returning as chief executive.

Walmart

After his initial period at eBay, Iannone joined Walmart, where he rose to the position of chief operating officer of the retail giant's U.S. e-commerce division. In this role, he was responsible for overseeing the operational aspects of Walmart's rapidly growing online retail business, which was engaged in an aggressive expansion to compete with Amazon and other major e-commerce players. His departure from Walmart to take the eBay CEO position was reported by multiple business news outlets in April 2020.

CEO of eBay

Appointment

On April 13, 2020, eBay announced that Iannone had been named president and chief executive officer, succeeding Devin Wenig, who had departed the company in September 2019. The appointment came at a pivotal moment for eBay, which had been under pressure from activist investors to improve its performance and had undergone a period of leadership transition. Iannone's selection was seen as significant because of his dual background—combining deep institutional knowledge of eBay from his earlier tenure with the operational experience he had gained at Walmart's e-commerce unit.

His appointment also coincided with the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, which dramatically accelerated the shift to online shopping worldwide. This external dynamic presented both challenges and opportunities for eBay as a marketplace platform.

Strategic focus on enthusiast categories

Under Iannone's leadership, eBay shifted its strategy to focus on what the company has described as "enthusiast" buyers and sellers—individuals with deep interest and expertise in specific product categories. Rather than attempting to compete directly with Amazon and other mass-market e-commerce platforms across all product categories, Iannone steered eBay toward areas where the marketplace had a differentiated position, including collectibles, trading cards, luxury watches, sneakers, and auto parts.

This category-focused approach was designed to leverage eBay's longstanding strengths as a marketplace for unique, rare, and specialized items. By concentrating resources and product development efforts on these categories, Iannone sought to reduce what he has described as the "friction" that deters many buyers and sellers from using the platform. The strategy involved investing in authentication services, improved search and discovery tools, and category-specific features to enhance the experience for both buyers and sellers in these focus areas.

According to a 2025 profile in Semafor, Iannone's approach of using AI and customer insights to reduce friction and target enthusiast communities contributed to making eBay an "investor collectible"—a reference to improved investor sentiment toward the company's stock and strategic direction.

Artificial intelligence initiatives

A central pillar of Iannone's strategy at eBay has been the integration of artificial intelligence across the platform. He has spoken extensively about the role of AI in transforming the marketplace experience for both buyers and sellers.

In a September 2025 appearance on Fox Business, Iannone described AI as one of the biggest "game changers" for the company, discussing how AI tools have helped sellers on the platform improve their listings and operations. He reflected on the changes eBay had undergone since going public approximately 30 years earlier and positioned AI as a transformative force for the company's future.

During eBay's fourth-quarter 2025 earnings call, Iannone revealed that the company had rolled out a "next generation" of its AI-powered "Magical Listing" tool, which uses artificial intelligence to help sellers create product listings more efficiently by automating aspects of the listing creation process such as generating descriptions, suggesting categories, and filling in item specifics.

In early 2026, Iannone told Wall Street analysts that eBay was integrating "agentic AI" directly into its search functionality, targeting enthusiast buyers. Agentic AI represents a more advanced form of artificial intelligence that can take autonomous actions on behalf of users, and its integration into eBay's search was presented as a step toward a more intelligent and personalized shopping experience.

At an October 2025 fireside chat at Northeastern University with university President Joseph Aoun, Iannone discussed his philosophy on AI leadership, stating that "AI starts at the top." He emphasized the importance of executive-level embrace of AI technologies, arguing that authentic leadership in AI adoption helps employees grow and stay prepared for the future.

Depop acquisition

In February 2026, eBay announced an agreement to acquire Depop, a secondhand clothing resale app popular among younger consumers and particularly Generation Z, for $1.2 billion in cash. The acquisition was characterized by The Information as a "bargain" and was seen as consistent with Iannone's strategy of strengthening eBay's position in secondhand and recommerce markets. The deal also aligned with the company's stated interest in reaching younger demographics and expanding its presence in the fashion resale category.

2025 financial performance

eBay reported what executives described as "incredible momentum" at the close of 2025, with fourth-quarter results that exceeded expectations. Iannone and other eBay executives pointed to the company's strong financial results for both the fourth quarter and full year 2025 as evidence that the strategic direction—focused on enthusiast categories, AI integration, and improved user experience—was yielding results.

Business Chief reported that 2025 was characterized as a "milestone" year for eBay, with the company highlighting its focus on the Gen Z audience and its investments in technology and strategic acquisitions as key drivers of performance.

Business Council membership

Iannone has been listed as an active member of the Business Council, an organization of chief executives of major corporations that convenes to discuss issues of public policy and business leadership.

Leadership philosophy

Iannone has articulated his views on leadership and technology adoption in several public forums. At his fireside chat at Northeastern University in October 2025, he emphasized the importance of authentic leadership, particularly in the context of AI adoption. He argued that executives must lead by example in embracing new technologies, suggesting that when leadership is authentic in its adoption of AI, employees are more likely to grow and remain prepared for technological changes in the workplace.

His approach to leading eBay has focused on what he has described as reducing "friction" in the marketplace—the barriers and difficulties that deter potential buyers and sellers from using the platform. This has manifested in investments in AI-powered tools for listing creation, improved search functionality, authentication services, and a strategic emphasis on categories where eBay has a competitive advantage.

In his public comments to Wall Street analysts and media, Iannone has consistently framed eBay's transformation around the intersection of technology and community, positioning the company's marketplace as one that serves passionate collectors and enthusiasts rather than competing as a generalized mass-market retailer.

Recognition

Under Iannone's leadership, eBay's strategic repositioning attracted attention from financial analysts and business media. A 2025 Semafor profile examined how Iannone had turned eBay into what the publication termed an "investor collectible," noting the company's improved market position and strategic clarity. The company's strong 2025 financial results, including fourth-quarter performance that exceeded analyst expectations, were noted by multiple financial and e-commerce industry publications.

Iannone's membership in the Business Council places him among a cohort of CEOs from major American corporations who participate in discussions on business leadership and public policy issues.

His public engagements have included speaking at Northeastern University alongside President Joseph Aoun, where his remarks on AI leadership were covered by the university's news division. He has also been featured on Fox Business discussing eBay's evolution over its three decades as a public company.