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Source: Amazon

Boumphrey joined Amazon as its director of media in the UK nine years ago

Amazon’s VP of fashion for Europe, John Boumphrey, has been announced as the new head of its UK division.

Boumphrey will take over as Amazon UK country manager from Doug Gurr, who is due to step down in November.

Boumphrey has been at Amazon for nine years, having joined as its director of media in the UK. As head of fashion for Europe he has launched new programmes including Prime Wardrobe, Stylesnap and The Drop. 

He also spent nearly three years in Seattle as Amazon vice president, consumables programmes.

Before joining Amazon, he was trading director for Homebase.

“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,” he said.

“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.”

Amazon last week announced it was creating 10,000 new permanent jobs in the UK in 2020 and had also started recruitment for more than 20,000 seasonal roles for the festive period.

The recruitment programme centres on three new fulfilment centres in Darlington, Durham and Sutton-in-Ashfield, each creating more than 1,000 new permanent roles.

Construction of the warehouses began last year and the Darlington facility opened in May. The Durham and Sutton-in-Ashfield sites are due to launch later this autumn.

Gurr is quitting after eight years at Amazon to become director of the Natural History Museum.