Jay Carney 

Global Head of Policy & Communications 
Airbnb
US

Jay Carney has been a regular among PRovoke Media’s Influence 100, but this year marks the first time he is being noted for his work leading policy and communications for Airbnb, which he joined in 2022 after seven-plus years at Amazon. In the year since making the move, Carney has been at the top rungs of a company trying to maintain its reputation amid criticism about the likes of cleaning fees and cleanliness. After CEO Brian Chesky spent some time living in Airbnbs, the company this year rolled out some 50 new features and improvements.

Before joining Airbandb, Carney, a former Obama White House press secretary, had played a leading role in steering Amazon through addressing the multitude of public affairs issues as senior VP of global corporate affairs. Highlights of Carney’s tenure included his help playing matchmaker in one of the most fascinating and consequential business deals of 2017: Amazon's purchase of Whole Foods. When, less than a year into his tenure the New York Times published a somewhat epic takedown of Amazon’s work culture, Carney took the unprecedented step of publishing his response, “What The New York Times Didn’t Tell You” on Medium. The New Yorker, among other publications, analyzed his response and what this ultimately means for the balance of power between journalists and corporate spokespeople.

Carney was White House press secretary for three years before stepping down in June 2014. Before that he was director of communications for Vice President Joe Biden. Carney previously served as Washington bureau chief for Time magazine, a post he held from September 2005 until December 2008, after joining the magazine in 1989.