Doug Gurr selected as preferred candidate for Chair of CMA
Doug Gurr has been announced as the preferred candidate to remain as chair of the Competition and Markets Authority.
- Business Secretary Peter Kyle announces Gurr as his choice of candidate to continue as Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) chair
- Subject to parliamentary hearing, Gurr will oversee the CMA for the next five years
- Comes following more than a year of reforms to the CMA to boost business confidence and predictability to grow the economy and deliver our Industrial Strategy.
Following a series of major reforms to boost growth and business confidence delivered in partnership with CMA Chief Executive Sarah Cardell, Doug Gurr has been announced as the preferred candidate to remain as chair of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).
Gurr was appointed as interim chair of the CMA in January 2025 and has now been selected to complete a full five-year term following an open competition for the role.
Following a hugely successful career as a tech entrepreneur and senior business leader, Doug has held board and leadership roles in the third and public sectors, and has an impressive record of driving forward change and improving performance.
Over the past 12 months, Doug has worked with Chief Executive Sarah Cardell, to transform the CMA, by improving the pace, predictability, proportionality and process of their merger investigations – which has been welcomed by businesses.
Business and Trade Secretary Peter 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.”
Interim Chair of the CMA Doug Gurr said:
“The government have been clear in their commitment to delivering economic growth and improving household prosperity. I have enjoyed my time at the CMA and can see a clear contribution we can make here through promoting competition and protecting consumers. It would be both a pleasure and a privilege to continue this important work.”
The CMA is the UK’s competition and consumer agency, promoting competition for the benefit of consumers, businesses and the UK economy and plays a crucial role in supporting the government’s growth mission, particularly in priority sectors for the Industrial Strategy.
Last month, DBT launched a consultation to look into further measures to help improve the competition regime in the UK.
Proposals will look at streamlining review times, greater certainty on when mergers will be subject to investigation as well as increased powers to support consumers further.
Free and fair competition and effective consumer protection support growth by putting money back in people’s pockets and driving forward innovation, productivity, investment.
It comes off the back of the most recent GDP figures, which showed that the UK was the fastest-growing economy in Europe. This is down to the economic plan that has been delivered so far, by building a stronger, more secure economy; cutting the cost of living; cutting the national debt; and creating the conditions for growth and investment.
The Business and Trade Secretary has invited the Commons Business and Trade Committee to hold a pre-appointment hearing and to report on Doug Gurr’s suitability for the post.
Notes to editors:
- Pre-appointment hearings enable select committees to take evidence from preferred candidates for major public appointments before they are appointed.
- Hearings are in public and involve the select committee publishing a report setting out their views on the candidate’s suitability for the post.
- Pre-appointment hearings are non-binding, but ministers will consider the committee’s views before deciding whether to proceed with an appointment.