Ring’s new CEO, Liz Hamren, announced in an email to employees today that founder Jamie Siminoff is leaving the video doorbell company and Amazon altogether. Siminoff says he founded Ring after looking for a way to open his door from his smartphone while tinkering in his garage, then Amazon reportedly paid more than $1 billion to buy the company in 2018. adding it to a growing suite of smart home security products.
When Siminoff announced in March that Hamren would be taking over as CEO of Ring, he said, “I decided to shift my role to Chief Inventor,” but Hamren’s post today explains that “Jamie is leaving Amazon to become a … to pursue a new opportunity”. while saying the company’s focus hasn’t changed. Hamren previously worked on products such as Oculus and Xbox and served as Discord’s COO.
Amazon spokesperson Yassi Yarger confirmed Siminoff’s departure, saying: “Jamie has been an incredible founder and inventor, building a product that is now being used by customers around the world. He’s also been a great colleague since Amazon and Ring came together in 2018 — we thank him for his many contributions and wish him all the best for the future.”
In his own statement, Siminoff writes:
I’ve had an incredible 10 years at Ring, and five years at Amazon. What started as a quick weekend project to show me who was at my door while working from my garage has become a household name
at one of the world’s most innovative companies. Ring has changed the way neighbors think about security for the better, and I can’t think of a better place than Amazon for Ring to continue its mission. I look forward to encouraging the team in the future.