Shopify, the Canadian e-commerce giant, has promoted Jess Hertz to Chief Operating Officer following a series of significant leadership changes, including the departure of Chief Revenue Officer Bobby Morrison. These strategic moves come as Shopify continues to refine its leadership structure and strengthen its operations after previous executive exits.
Key Takeaways
- Jess Hertz, Shopify's General Counsel since 2021 and former White House staff secretary, is now Chief Operating Officer.
- Bobby Morrison, Chief Revenue Officer, exits the company after more than three impactful years.
- The reshuffle follows the recent departure of previous COO Kaz Nejatian.
- Shopify’s executive changes are aimed at accelerating operational efficiency and innovation.
Leadership Changes Signal New Era
Shopify’s latest executive shakeup underscores the company’s ongoing evolution. Jess Hertz, who joined Shopify four years ago and has led the company’s legal and regulatory functions, is stepping into the critical role of COO. The move fills the gap left by Kaz Nejatian, who exited in September to lead real estate tech company Opendoor.
Bobby Morrison has also announced his departure after helping Shopify stabilize cash flow and boost its market valuation. Morrison expressed gratitude for CEO Tobi Lütke’s vision and highlighted the team’s accomplishments, including consistent free cash flow over the past eight quarters and robust company growth.
Hertz’s Diverse Background
Jess Hertz brings an exceptional blend of public sector and technology experience to her new position. Before joining Shopify, Hertz served as a staff secretary in the White House, general counsel for the Biden transition team, and an associate general counsel at Meta. Hertz, a Harvard Law graduate and former law clerk to Justice Sonia Sotomayor, is praised for her strategic systems thinking and pragmatic fixes.
In outlining her COO approach, Hertz emphasized transparency, rapid adaptation, and clear accountability—principles designed to empower teams and streamline execution company-wide. CEO Tobi Lütke and President Harley Finkelstein publicly lauded Hertz’s promotion, crediting her for building scalable systems and fostering operational clarity.
Strategic Focus for Shopify’s Future
The overhaul of Shopify’s top brass comes as the company leans heavily into artificial intelligence initiatives. Shopify’s recent partnership with OpenAI aims to harness AI-powered features for more than a million merchants, integrating products into emerging platforms like ChatGPT.
As Canada’s largest tech firm by market capitalization, Shopify has faced intense competition and rapidly evolving commerce technology. These executive changes are intended to position the company to move faster and drive further innovation. Stakeholders now look to Hertz’s leadership to help Shopify deliver on its ambitious roadmap while further enhancing its global merchant ecosystem.
What’s Next?
With its refreshed executive team and a growing focus on AI-driven commerce, Shopify is poised for continued growth. The company’s ability to adapt amidst leadership shifts will be closely watched by investors, employees, and the broader tech industry.
References
- Shopify General Counsel to Take Over COO Role, Revenue Chief Departs — The Information, The Information.
- Shopify promotes Jess Hertz to COO as chief revenue officer departs, BetaKit.
- Shopify Chief Revenue Officer Bobby Morrison announces departure, TipRanks.
- Shopify continues to change top brass, announcing new COO as review officer departs, Yahoo.
- Ex-White House Lawyer Who's Been Shopify's GC Since 2021 Promoted to COO, Law.com.
