What a shame! A member of upper management in an environmentally destructive company like Amazon being the new head of an organization that is supposed to be a steward of the natural world. What a shame! "The Natural History Museum has chosen Doug Gurr, the current boss of Amazon’s UK and Ireland operations, to be its new director. New Zealand-born Gurr will take over from Sir Michael Dixon, who has been in charge at the London museum for 15 years, later this year. Gurr was the development director at Asda for nearly five years before joining Amazon in 2011, where he ran its Chinese business and then took over its UK operations in 2016, with the aim of developing the firm’s grocery operation in Britain. He was one of the rumoured candidates for the BBC director general job earlier this year." UK Amazon boss to become new head of Natural History Museum | Natural History Museum | The Guardian
Very, very disappointing I would wager a guess that this appointment was made to tackle predicted changes in visitor demographics that will be caused by Covid (massive reduction in overseas visitors, significant reduction in UK daytrip visitors and school visits, increased reliance on local London visitors, difficulties with loaning and borrowing objects for exhibitions etc). As with all other museums, their online, digital offer (online exhibitions, webinars etc) will be of much increased importance for the next few years. Will be very interesting to see what the rest of the museum sector has to say about this... Edit: announcement from the Museums Association, and comments from professionals in the field. Very few seem to be in favour of his appointment. https://www.museumsassociation.org/museums-journal/news/douglas-gurr-appointed-director-nhm
“Alexa...which museum sold their soul to Amazon?” Can’t wait to have every gallery filled with a sub-standard voice assistant. Now then, where’d I put those painkillers?
In the grand scheme of things these type of appointments are becoming increasingly popular within the sector, with varying degrees of success. ZSL certainly in the last few years have been trying to broaden their demographic within the Council in order to tap into different markets. This appointment does feel a bit like doing a deal with the Devil though. I’m very uncomfortable about it.
Dare I say the zoo world started doing this a long time ago... Many zoos are not run by 'zoo people' anymore.
Dare I say that may be because 'zoo people' are not necessarily very skilled in operational management?
Museums often hire directors from outside the field (the outgoing NHM director Michael Dixon was previously director general of ZSL, current V+A director Tristram Hunt is a historian but has not worked in the museum sector before), so a non-museum person isn't unheard of. But, he is controversial. The Trustees must have thought he had skills and knowledge that they currently require for whatever their masterplan is.
They can be if given the correct training and opportunities. Simon Tongue, Dr Mark Pilgrim, David Field for example all started off as zookeepers. Not to mention all the successful smaller zoos whose owners are often both on the ground and in the office. The over corporate and commercial approach worries me greatly when it becomes more apparent in zoos. Zoo people can lead the operations well if they have those experienced in marketing/visitor operations etc underneath them to support them I think.
This appointment would hardly be a big jump up in the corporate world for Doug Gurr. He may see this as an opportunity to give back and do something he sees as meaningful.
Of course it is possible - but the training and opportunities need to start much earlier on than at this level. I do think that running very large organisation is a different beast to smaller collections and I can understand why you would bring in a 'corporate' individual with those skills already. I don't like it much either - but I'm willing to give the man a chance. For all we know Doug Gurr wants to move on from Amazon and take this post because he has seen the very bad side first hand and see's this as an opportunity to make a positive difference. I hope so. I wonder how many 'zoo people' would aspire to go down the operations route? If a zoo person can lead the operation well with the right 'corporate / commercial' people as part of the team then it surely can work the other way around?
