The Boards of Directors of Washington Dental Service and Delta Dental of Washington (DDWA) today announced the appointment of Mark Mitchke, the veteran Amazon executive who led Amazon Global Fulfillment Services, as CEO of the two companies.
“Mark Mitchke is an innovative, driven executive with a tremendous balance of operating and strategic capability,” said DDWA Board Chair Dr. Gerry Phipps. “Mark is a long-range thinker and adept at navigating complexity, and he has successfully balanced the needs of the sellers, customers and Amazon in his role leading Amazon’s fulfillment services. His experience leading Amazon’s small-businesses marketplace is directly applicable to Delta Dental’s core business.”
Mitchke brings more than twenty years of business leadership experience to Delta Dental of Washington. At Amazon, Mark managed a large team whose diverse areas of focus included product development, software engineering, machine learning, finance, business development, Seller and Customer support, and operations. Mark excels in leading the collaboration that is essential to bring together multiple and sometimes disparate interests and priorities to deliver results. Under his leadership since 2014, Amazon Global Fulfillment Services has empowered hundreds of thousands of small and medium-sized businesses to grow global businesses on Amazon and has quadrupled sales for Amazon.
“I am thrilled to join Delta Dental of Washington at such a pivotal time,” Mitchke said. “With the rapid changes in health care and the dental industry, I am eager to work closely with our dentist members and employees to continue to deliver the excellent care patients have come to expect from Delta Dental while accelerating Delta’s progress in serving the community and shaping the future of oral health care. Throughout my career, I have learned to operate and innovate in complex new environments with a variety of stakeholders, always working for mutual wins. I look forward to listening and learning as we work together to shape and improve oral health in Washington and beyond.”
At Amazon, Mitchke is known for his ability to cut through complexity with a sharp analytical mind and calm demeanor – and for being both tenacious and focused. He is also known for caring deeply about his team members, customers and community.
“Mark has deep roots in the Seattle area and feels a strong connection to the community and Delta Dental’s mission, which is historically important for the CEO of Delta Dental of Washington,” said Anne Farrell, DDWA Board Vice Chair. In addition to his corporate role, Mitchke has been involved with the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Alaska & Washington since 2005, served on the Board from 2005 to 2010 and served as the Board Chairman in 2009.
Prior to joining Amazon in 2013, Mark was a Senior Partner at McKinsey & Company in Seattle. At McKinsey, he gained extensive experience in leading change for a wide variety of complex organizations across a range of industries, developing a deep understanding of how to adapt and lead in new environments with varied stakeholders and company cultures.
Mitchke holds a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an MBA with high distinction from Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. He lives in Bellevue with his wife and three children.
Mitchke, who will start by the end of the year, succeeds the current CEO Jim Dwyer, who is retiring. Dwyer completes 17 years of leading the organization to record revenues, profits and sales growth, serving approximately 2 million subscribers.
