Coursera CEO Leverages Amazon Principles to Fuel AI-Driven Learning Growth

Greg Hart, former technical advisor to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, has spent the last 23 years immersed in the culture and leadership principles of one of the world's most influential companies. His experience has now shaped his approach at Coursera, the online learning platform where he serves as CEO. Coursera, valued at $1.35 billion, is navigating a transformation amid growing demand for AI-related skills.

Hart's journey at Amazon began in 1997, when he was summoned to a meeting with Jeff Bezos on a Sunday before officially joining the company. At the time, Bezos had personally interviewed nearly all of Amazon's 200 employees, and Hart became one of the few exceptions. Over the years, he served under both Bezos and current Amazon CEO Andy Jassy according to reports.

Since joining Coursera, Hart has sought to replicate the Amazon ethos by embedding leadership principles into the company's culture. One of his key strategies was to introduce a set of leadership mindsets, drawing inspiration from successful companies and tailoring them to Coursera's mission. He emphasized the need for cultural alignment and faster execution.

Embedding Leadership Principles

Hart's leadership strategy at Coursera closely mirrors the approach Bezos took at Amazon. In the early days, Bezos personally interviewed every employee to ensure the company's core values-passion, customer focus, high standards, and speed-remained consistent as the company scaled according to analysis. Hart believed that for Coursera to thrive, it needed a similar foundation.

He introduced monthly leadership meetings focused on a single principle, a practice reminiscent of Amazon's approach. Hart's team sends out emails and organizes all-hands meetings centered around these values, ensuring employees at all levels understand how they apply to daily operations. "We pick one, and have examples that speak to it, because it helps make it real for people," he explained.

This emphasis on alignment has helped Coursera adapt rapidly to the AI boom. The platform now offers over 12,000 courses, with more than 1,100 of them focused on generative AI. Demand for AI-related training has surged, particularly among employees whose employers subsidize their subscriptions.

AI Adoption and Company Culture

As companies and individuals rush to adopt AI skills, Hart has also focused on how to responsibly integrate the technology into the workplace. He encourages employees to experiment with AI, without imposing strict goals on how it should be used. The result is an internal platform called "AI Sparks," where employees share how they're applying AI in their jobs according to company reports.

Hart himself is selective about using AI for personal tasks. As an English major, he views writing as an essential part of his thinking process and avoids delegating it to AI tools. "Trying to outsource that would be effectively giving up thinking," he said.

The CEO also believes that over-focusing on short-term outcomes from AI could prevent companies from recognizing its broader impact. His approach at Coursera is to encourage widespread adoption of AI across the workforce, with the belief that the long-term benefits will become clear over time according to leadership analysis.

The Broader AI Landscape

Coursera is not the only company adapting to the AI revolution. Across the tech industry, CEOs are prioritizing AI investments. A 2025 U.S. CEO Outlook survey by KPMG found that 74% of leaders consider AI a top priority despite economic uncertainty. Many have already integrated AI into tasks like recruitment, management, and meeting preparation.

Meanwhile, other enterprise AI companies are also navigating their own challenges. C3.ai, for instance, is working to regain momentum after a difficult year that saw a significant drop in revenue and a change in leadership according to company reports. Despite these setbacks, the company remains optimistic about the future of AI and has guidance for revenue in the $72–80 million range for the next quarter.

For investors, the AI sector remains a high-risk, high-reward environment. Companies like C3.ai, Udemy, and others are being scrutinized over mergers and acquisitions, with firms like Halper Sadeh LLC advising shareholders to be aware of their legal rights. Udemy, for example, is in the process of merging with Coursera in a $2.5 billion deal that will reshape the online learning landscape according to tech reports.

As AI continues to reshape industries, the lessons from leaders like Greg Hart-drawing from years of experience at Amazon-highlight the importance of culture, agility, and long-term vision in driving innovation and growth.