Amazon engineers spend hours preparing for ordinary meetings with one of Bezos' top executives because they're afraid of encountering 'Brilliant Clark'

• Amazon's SVP of worldwide operations Dave Clark is known for his attention to detail and sharp feedback.
• That could be intimidating to some employees, but it's also earned him a flattering nickname: "Brilliant Clark."

• Some employees indulge Clark's obsession with detail. For example, the 6-page reports used in every Amazon meeting would typically have an appendix of over 50 pages with additional data when presented to Clark, people who worked with him told Business Insider.

• Engineers would prepare for their meeting, saying "Brilliant Clark," as they liked to call him, would pinpoint their flaw in thinking.

Amazon's logistics boss Dave Clark is one of the most powerful figures at the retail giant, overseeing everything from the company's shipping network to the Prime membership program.

His rise within the ranks is remarkable: he went from an operations manager in 1999 to his current SVP of worldwide operations position in 2013. He's also part of Amazon's S-team, the exclusive group of executives that work closely with CEO Jeff Bezos.

Those who've worked with Clark describe him as a masterful operator with a sharp eye for detail. His aggressive leadership style is highly respected, but at the same time, he has instilled a certain level of fear among the rank and file, these people say.

Some workers indulge Clark in his obsession for detail. For example, the 6-page reports used in every Amazon meeting would typically have an appendix of over 50 pages with additional data when presented to Clark, people who worked with him told Business Insider.

"You don't know where he's going to drill in," one former executive said.

Clark's attention to detail has even earned him a flattering nickname too: "Brilliant Clark."

That's because he's able to spot flaws in their thinking, and often give feedback that proves them wrong, a person who worked with Clark told Business Insider. This person said people would review reports by saying, "Brilliant Clark would say this and that," when preparing for a meeting with Clark.

And Clark can be found in a lot of meetings because of his wide-ranging responsibilities. In fact, Amazon even built a small waiting room near his office to accommodate the people gathered outside standing by for the next meeting, according to a person familiar with the matter.

You can read more about Clark in this profile about him here.

Read the original article on Business Insider