A Year as an Amazon EHS Leader – Why I Love It
- Anupama Mehrotra
- Sep 15, 2020
- 3 min read
Looking back in 2025, I can still feel the energy and optimism of that first year. My perspective has evolved, but I remain grateful for the leadership lessons being an Amazon EHS Leader taught me—especially around decision-making, rapid learning, and managing with metrics.
A year ago, I never imagined myself working at Amazon. From its historical safety challenges to the fast-paced, high-risk environment, it seemed like a company I would avoid. However, after meeting an inspiring leader and witnessing Amazon’s shift toward a safety-centric vision, I decided to take a chance. One year later, I can confidently say that Amazon has provided me with some of the best leadership experiences, workplace culture, and career growth opportunities I’ve ever had.
Amazon has been on the “Dirty Dozen” list of employers for years. In 2017, there was a pretty bad run of PIT incidents, killing several employees in the northeast. If you had asked me back then, there was no way I’d ever join the company. But this September, I will have been employed by Amazon for one year.
Why I Joined Amazon
In 2018, I went to ASSP’s inaugural Women in Safety Summit. There, I met a woman named Marla. She was brilliant, commanding respect and attention in every room she walked in. She is a woman of color, and I had so few role models who looked like me. She carried herself with confidence I’d thought only white people were allowed.
After a few minutes with her, I thought, “This is who I want to be when I grow up.” Imagine my shock when she continued to share spaces with me at ASSP events—and I learned she worked for Amazon, a Platinum Sponsor of several of my favorite conferences. Cue professional stalking (aka ‘networking’).
I saw Amazon shift from just customer obsession to something more: “Earth’s most safety-centric company.” That stuck with me.
Eventually, at a conference, I saw Marla again. She paused her phone call just to tell me, “I remember you. You impressed me.” She turned to a colleague and said, “Talk to her. She’s good.” That moment sealed it. By September, I had joined Amazon as an EHS Site Manager.
💼 Why I Love Working at Amazon
1. The People
The caliber here is unmatched. Smart. Passionate. Fast-moving. I’m proud of who I’ve become working alongside them.
2. The Leadership Principles
We don’t just talk culture—we measure, evaluate, and reward based on it. “Living and breathing” these principles isn’t just a phrase. It’s a real operational framework.
3. The Pace
We don’t wait for perfection. We ship at 70% and iterate fast. Amazon values bias for action and structured risk-taking. It’s intense, but the speed of learning is unreal.
4. The Diversity
I’m not the only woman of color. I’m not the only first-gen professional. For once, I don’t feel like the only one in the room. That changes everything.
5. The Data
Everything here is measurable. We don’t guess—we analyze. Data drives decisions, priorities, and success.
🌱 Personal Growth
The biggest growth area? People leadership.
I’d had deep technical expertise—but this role forced me to delegate, develop others, and manage performance. It’s been the most rewarding challenge of my career so far.
🔑 Key Takeaways
• People matter most → Growth is accelerated by the company you keep.
• Culture is lived → Leadership Principles guide every decision and review.
• Speed drives innovation → “Fail fast” really works—if you’re willing to learn fast, too.
• Diversity changes everything → Representation fuels belonging.
• Data is power → Decisions backed by data move the business and the culture.
• Managing teams = leadership muscle → Delegation, development, and direction.
✍️ Reflections & Next Steps
If you’re an EHS professional considering a role at Amazon, know this: it’s not for everyone, but it can be a career accelerant for those who thrive in high-impact, high-velocity environments.
And for me, it’s been a proving ground—not just for safety leadership, but for strategic influence, operational agility, and inclusive team building.
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