San Francisco, Aug 22 (IANS): Jeff Wilke, the CEO of Amazon's worldwide consumer division, is set to retire early next year after serving the company for over two decades.

Dave Clark, Amazon's Senior Vice President of Retail Operations, will succeed Wilke, Amazon said in a statement on Friday.

In a memo to employees, Amazon Founder and CEO Jeff Bezos called Wilke his "tutor".

Wilke, who joined the company in 1999, is often credited with shaping the logistics system that the e-commerce giant has today.

"When you see us taking care of customers, you can thank Jeff for it," Bezos said in the memo, announcing Wilke's departure from the company.

"Jeff's legacy and impact will live on long after he departs. He is simply one of those people without whom Amazon would be completely unrecognisable," the Amazon CEO said.

In a message to Amazon teams around the world, Wilke said that "it's just time" for him "to take time to explore personal interests that have taken a back seat for over two decades."

"I'm planning to retire in Q1 of next year. I don't have a new job, and am as happy with and proud of Amazon as ever," Wilke said.

Several top Amazon executives have recently announced their plans to leave the company including Vice President of Robotics Brad Porter, The Verge reported.