The U.Ok.’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has a brand new interim chairman: former Amazon government Doug Gurr (pictured above).
The announcement comes because the U.Ok. seeks to place itself as a pro-growth, pro-tech nation by chopping red-tape and paperwork, with synthetic intelligence (AI) taking middle stage. The nation can also be nearing the tip of an extended investigation into the home cloud providers market that had Amazon firmly within the CMA’s crosshairs.
In its announcement on Tuesday, the federal government leaned into Gurr’s previous at Amazon as a way to “increase development and assist the financial system,” noting that he’ll “deliver a wealth of expertise” from his work within the sector.
“This Government has a transparent Plan for Change — to spice up development for companies and communities throughout the U.Ok.,” Jonathan Reynolds, the U.Ok.’s secretary of state for enterprise and commerce, stated in an announcement. “As we’ve set out, we need to see regulators together with the CMA supercharging the financial system with pro-business choices that may drive prosperity and development, placing more cash in folks’s pockets.”
The massive tech issue
Gurr joined Amazon’s U.Ok division in 2011, initially as VP of its “hardlines” division, which targeted on merchandise corresponding to gardening and toys. He transitioned into the function of nation supervisor for Amazon’s China enterprise in 2014, earlier than shifting again to go up U.Ok. operations in 2016. Gurr left Amazon in 2020 to turn into the director of the Natural History Museum.
Outgoing chair Marcus Bokkerink, who has extra of a consulting than industrial background, held his submit for lower than three years, a comparatively brief tenure because the place sometimes lasts as much as 5 years. However, studies point out that chancellor Rachel Reeves was underwhelmed following a gathering with numerous U.Ok. regulators final week, prompting a altering of the guard.
It’s value noting that though Gurr’s appointment is on an interim foundation, the CMA’s CEO Sarah Cardell was additionally initially appointed as interim CEO again in 2022 earlier than she moved into the function completely.
That’s to not say that is what is going to occur with Gurr, but it surely offers a transparent indication about the kind of particular person the federal government needs to see chairing the nation’s antitrust regulator — a physique at present investigating massive tech corporations for all method of alleged contraventions.
Alex Haffner, competitors accomplice at legislation agency Fladgate, says it’s no coincidence that Gurr’s appointment has come at a time when the U.Ok. is “banging the drum for its development agenda.” He additionally highlighted that Gurr’s background is “unashamedly industrial” in comparison with his predecessor.
Over and above that, nevertheless, this appointment raises questions on how the CMA may strategy its enforcement of guidelines round massive tech throughout verticals.
“What stakeholders will now be assessing is how the brand new appointment interprets into the CMA’s strategy to enforcement,” Haffner stated in an announcement to TechCrunch. “Recent indicators are that it has taken heed of criticism of earlier choices and is maybe extra prepared to be versatile — the latest Vodafone / Three clearance determination being a working example. However, the brand new Chair additionally takes on the function at a time when the CMA has taken on important new powers underneath the Digital Markets Competition and Consumer Act, notably in relation to its oversight of massive tech, which means the CMA will probably turn into extra activist, albeit giving appreciable consideration as to find out how to implement in a approach which finest stimulates competitors and due to this fact financial development.”
The Open Cloud Coalition, a Google-backed foyer group launched again in October to curry favor with European lawmakers, “congratulated” Gurr on his appointment as interim chair. However, Nicky Stewart, senior advisor to the Open Cloud Coalition, urged the regulator to not lose sight of its ongoing investigation into the cloud providers market, which counts Amazon because the runaway market chief.
“As the CMA’s cloud market investigation enters a vital part, we urge the regulator to remain the course and take decisive motion to create a fairer, extra aggressive cloud market that advantages companies, shoppers, and the broader digital financial system,” Stewart stated in an announcement issued to TechCrunch. “The cloud business can solely flourish when there’s a degree taking part in area, and as outlined in our place paper, significant intervention is important to unlocking innovation and funding throughout the sector.”
