Dive Brief:
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Postmates COO Peter Hazlehurst is leaving after just seven months on the job, the startup announced last week.
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The quick departure came after a realization by CEO Bastian Lehmann that Lehmann wasn’t quite ready for a team approach to leadership, according to a Postmates spokesperson and Hazlehurst himself, according to reporting by Re/code.
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The move, or un-move, comes as Postmates appears to reach a milestone of sorts, with a new deal announced in March to provide delivery for Starbucks and another in April with Chipotle.
Dive Insight:
The delivery arena is almost chaotic with competition and possibility, and Postmates has emerged as one of the startups that is ready to break out of the pack. It’s a good time to add someone who can provide some added operational expertise and even a place to bounce ideas, but that wasn’t to be. The departure appears to be genuinely genial, with no hard feelings, though that doesn’t mean it was a wise move.