eBay is losing a key leader in its AI support initiatives as VP Customer Service & Marketing Technology, Dan Leiva, heads for semi-retirement and launches a private consulting firm after nearly 9 years at the company. Leiva, who previously worked at Apple and Intuit, led a team of over 900 professionals overseeing technology for eBay's Customer Service, Payment Operations, CRM, and Marketing experiences.
He announced his departure on LinkedIn and launched his consulting business, CXAmplify, where he aims to help organizations optimize customer experiences and implement AI effectively. Implementing AI customer support was a major focus during his tenure, though opinions vary on whether it was done "the right way."
eBay's AI Push and Seller Concerns
After the recent appointment of Dawn Block as VP Global Customer Experience, sellers hoped for improvements in support. However, eBay's job ads indicate a continued push to integrate AI, despite sellers expressing a need for more human-centered help.
For example, a job ad for a Senior Director, CX Engineering emphasizes leveraging AI to redefine the customer journey and achieve hyper-personalized interactions. While the ad mentions "customer-centricity," the real priorities appear to be cost savings and Gross Merchandise Volume (GMV) impact.
This isn't eBay's first move toward AI-driven cost-cutting. In 2023, the company spent around $12 million overhauling automated support systems, shifting users to AI chat instead of human reps. This led to frustrating issues for sellers, including call routing problems.
Layoffs and Automation
Following mass layoffs in early 2024, sellers feared further declines in customer service as eBay increased AI integration. CEO Jamie Iannone and CFO Steve Priest later highlighted AI's role in reducing the need for human agents to read lengthy emails, claiming it "fundamentally changed" their pace of work.
Many sellers disagree, arguing that automation has worsened their experience. Recently, eBay removed many sellers from the Concierge support program without warning, despite previous "lifetime" status promises. The company now reserves top-tier support for sellers in the top 10% of GMV, leaving others with lower-tier or AI-driven options.
Historical Context and Executive Bonuses
eBay promised to "fix customer service" back in 2017, with then-SVP Wendy Jones acknowledging the need for improvement. Despite failing to deliver on promises like expanding Concierge support to all sellers, Jones received an $11 million bonus in 2018, including an $8 million retention bonus. She later collected over $11 million in severance in 2020, despite ongoing complaints about service quality.
Recent AI Initiatives and Executive Departures
As one of Leiva's final initiatives, eBay announced a partnership with Artium.AI and OpenAI to build a next-generation AI customer service platform, with further AI investments planned for 2026. This follows the recent departure of Chief Privacy Officer and VP AI and Data Responsibility, Anna Zeiter, marking the second high-level AI executive loss in a month.
It remains unclear whether Leiva's responsibilities will be absorbed by an existing role or filled through external hiring or internal promotion. eBay has not commented on the departure.
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