Interview with Doug Gurr, chairman British Heart Foundation, ex Amazon, Asda, McKinsey

Doug was most recently a global vice-president and head of Amazon UK from 2016 to 2020. He is currently chairman of the British Heart Foundation, and the director at Natural Histroy Museum.

He left Cambridge University with a maths degree, before getting a PhD at Edinburgh, then he taught at Aarhus University in Denmark, before joining the civil service, then going into consultancy with McKinsey & Co, following which Andy Bond brought him into Asda as his head of strategy.

Doug also spent four years running Amazon in China, during which time he ran a marathon along the Great Wall of China, just for fun.

He was born in Leeds, where he lives today, grew up in Africa to parents from New Zealand, so has always had a global outlook.

He is mindful each year of the things that give him balance, and takes time to plan the next five years ahead, as when you have a plan rather than coast you are more likely to get stuff done.

Doug has his own Wikipedia page - which says it all really - he is one of the smartest people I've ever had the pleasure of knowing, has no fear, and loves a challenge. 

He is also charming to boot. Oh, and did I mention he is Scottish international triathlete, and a keen ski mountaineer?

In this podcast we discuss the future of work, and how people will need the ability to manage both people and machines. 

Doug believes the early 21st century is going to be as pivotal a time as each of the three previous industrial revolutions, with data and informatics fundamentally shifting how we work as humans. 

🎧 Listen now wherever you get your podcasts, and please rate or share if it resonated.