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Former Amazon boss Doug Gurr has been appointed as interim chair of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), in a bid to boost growth and support the economy.
Gurr, currently the director of the Natural History Museum, will bring a wealth of experience in the technology sector as the former country manager of Amazon UK and president of Amazon China.
It comes off the back of a meeting of the country’s “leading” regulators with the business secretary and the chancellor, who were asked to tear down the barriers hindering business and refocus their efforts on promoting growth.
In the coming weeks, the Department for Business and Trade will set out the process for recruiting a new permanent chair of the CMA.
The news also comes after the secretary of State for Business and Trade accepted the resignation of the chair of the Competition and Markets Authority, Marcus Bokkerink, who was appointed to the role in September 2022.
During Bokkerink’s tenure as CMA chair, he successfully delivered on the five priorities he identified when he took on the role. This includes strengthening the governance of the CMA by forming a new board and onboarding Sarah Cardell as the new CEO; unifying the organisation behind a single clear strategy and operating model focused on positive outcomes for consumers and businesses, delivering new levels of impact; and stepping up the CMA’s transparency and engagement with consumers, businesses and other stakeholders.
Gurr said: “I am honoured to be asked to chair the CMA at this crucial time. I look forward to working with the strong leadership team to help deliver business investment and economic growth in a framework of effective competition and consumer protection.”
Jonathan Reynolds, secretary of State for Business and Trade, added: “The CMA plays a vital role in supporting consumers across the UK, and I want to thank Marcus Bokkerink for his leadership of the Board since 2022. I’m pleased to welcome Doug as interim chair who will oversee the CMA while we recruit for a permanent position, supporting the leadership of CEO Sarah Cardell.”
