CMA to appoint former Amazon UK boss Doug Gurr as permanent chair - report

(Sharecast News) - The Competition and Markets Authority will reportedly name former Amazon UK boss Doug Gurr as its new permanent chair next week, after winning backing from ministers for his stewardship of the agency since early last year. According to Sky News, Gurr has been chosen by Peter Kyle, the business secretary, after what by Whitehall standards was a quick-fire appointment process.

If he is endorsed after a select committee appearance next week, he will be appointed for a five-year term overseeing the UK's antitrust regulator during a critical period for the economy. That would mean him leading the CMA into the early 2030s.

Marcus Bokkerink, Gurr's predecessor, was ousted by Chancellor Rachel Reeves and then business secretary Jonathan Reynolds amid concerns the CMA was doing too little to foster economic growth.

In a statement issued to Sky News on Friday, Kyle said: "Under Doug Gurr's leadership as interim chair, the CMA is playing a key role in delivering the government's pro-growth agenda, ensuring the UK is a place where businesses can grow and invest with confidence.

"I look forward to Doug leading the delivery of the CMA's three-year strategy to drive economic growth and improve household prosperity."

The CMA is undergoing a radical overhaul of its approach to mergers, which includes abolishing its system of using panels of external experts to scrutinise deals which could have a detrimental impact on competition.

Whitehall sources told Sky they had been impressed by Gurr's work with Sarah Cardell, the CMA chief executive, to make the organisation more "efficient".

One said the CMA was now "more growth-focused and [was] creating certainty for industry in the UK and those looking to invest in the UK".