Amazon names John Boumphrey new UK boss

Retail giant Amazon has announced John Boumphrey as the new boss of its UK operations.

Boumphrey will take over the role of UK country manager in mid-November, when current boss Doug Gurr steps down.

Boumphrey is currently the vice president of Amazon Fashion Europe, having joined Amazon nine years ago as its director of media in the UK.

John Boumphrey said: “I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to lead Amazon’s UK business, helping us to serve our UK customers and communities, as well as supporting our employees and thousands of businesses the length and breadth of the country.

“It’s hard to imagine that there were around 2,500 UK employees when I started almost 10 years ago, and since then I’ve seen a UK workforce that will this year grow to more than 40,000.”

The move comes as last week Amazon announced 7,000 new jobs at its warehouses and other sites across the UK.

The move is a major boost for the UK economy which has been haemorrhaging jobs since coronavirus struck earlier this year.

The internet giant said the jobs would be spread across more than 50 sites, including corporate offices and two new fulfilment centres launching in the autumn in the North East and in the Midlands.