Amazon UK boss to leave for Natural History Museum directorship

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Jun 19, 2020

Amazon is losing its UK head with Doug Gurr set to become the new director of the Natural History Museum. It’s a surprise move on the surface with the exec having been at Amazon for nine years, four of them in the top UK job, and previously working at Asda. 

But he was chair of the board of the Science Museum from 2010 to 2014. He’s currently chairman of the British Heart Foundation, a trustee of the National Gallery, a trustee of the Landmark Trust and non-executive director of the Land Registry.

He became Amazon’s UK country manager in 2016 after two years spent running the e-tail giant’s Chinese operations.

The company thanked him for his work at the firm and said he “will be missed”. It added that “as someone who has always been passionate about culture, science and learning, we’re delighted for him that he’ll be leading one of the UK’s great cultural and scientific institutions”.

He’s not moving immediately and will continue to run the UK operation until “later this year” with a new UK country manager to be announced “in due course.”

Gurr has navigated a period of huge growth for Amazon but also of criticism over its tax strategies in the UK and conditions for its warehouse workers.

The UK has consequently seen TV ad campaigns featuring Amazon workers talking about what they enjoy in their jobs and also the public given access the firm via warehouse tours.

He’s also seen the company diving deep into the fashion sector with the launch of multiple own brands and the addition of more external brands to its line-up.