Doug Gurr, UK country manager, Amazon has been confirmed as a keynote speaker for the OIA Conference and AGM 2018 (sponsored by The Camping and Caravanning Club), taking place on March 14-15 at Shrigley Hall Hotel, in Cheshire.
Doug joined Amazon in December 2011 and was previously country manager for Amazon in China before becoming UK country manager in 2016.
OIA CEO Andrew Denton said: “We’re delighted to have secured such a prestigious, high profile speaker for our 2018 event. His knowledge, experience and background is incredible and it will be fascinating to hear what he has to say – I’m sure we’ll all learn a lot and will be totally and utterly inspired.”
He is a former Scottish international triathlete and 12 times Ironman, a keen ski mountaineer with over 20 first ascents including the first winter ascent of Gunnbjornsfeld – the highest mountain north of the arctic circle, and an enthusiastic mountain runner, recently completing the Bob Graham 24hr Round, and the Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc.
He has two degrees in Mathematics from the University of Cambridge, and PhD in Computing from the University of Edinburgh.
Outside work, Gurr is chairman of the British Heart Foundation, a trustee of the Landmark Trust and was until 2014 chairman of the Science Museum Group of national museums.
His previous roles included teaching mathematics and computing at the University of Aarhus in Denmark, a three year stint working for the UK Government, six years with consultancy firm McKinsey ending as partner, growing (as founder and CEO) an internet start-up from nothing to $250m in five years leading it a successful IPO and eventual Trade Sale, and finally five years on the Board of Asda-Walmart.
Doug was born in the UK to New Zealand parents, and grew up mostly in Africa before returning to the UK to attend high school and college. He is married with two young children.
