(Image: UNP)
A North East man who started his career at Amazon a decade ago has been appointed site leader of the company's Darlington fulfilment centre.
Jack Docherty, from Middlesbrough, will now oversee daily operations at the site, focusing on workplace safety, employee development, and customer service.
He said: "That mix of academic, international and entrepreneurial experience, he says, has given him a broadened perspective that he continues to draw on throughout his Amazon career.
"The politics and religion degree helps me understand people - the socio-economic side of what makes people tick.
Jack Docherty at the Darlington fulfilment centre
(Image: UNP)
"We have such a diverse population across every building at Amazon, and getting to know the team, regardless of level or role, has been a framework I've leaned on from day one.
"My MSc in management gives me the business frameworks that I apply day to day."
Mr Docherty joined Amazon in 2016 after completing a degree in politics and religion, followed by an MSc in management.
He previously taught English in China before returning to the UK.
He said the combination of his academic background and international experience has shaped his approach to leadership.
He said: "The politics and religion degree helps me understand people – the socio-economic side of what makes people tick.
"We have such a diverse population across every building at Amazon, and getting to know the team, regardless of level or role, has been a framework I've leaned on from day one.
"My MSc in management gives me the business frameworks that I apply day to day."
Mr Docherty was attracted to Amazon by its rapid growth and potential for career progression.
He said he is most proud of his community work during his time with the company.
This includes supporting the first cohort of supported interns, partnering with charities, serving as a governor of UTC Leeds, and working with the youth and apprenticeships team to introduce school work experience placements.
The supported internship programme at Amazon, launched in 2021, aims to help young people with special educational needs and disabilities enter the workforce.
In 2023, it was expanded through a partnership with DFN Project Search.
Nearly 300 young people have started supported internships with Amazon since the programme began, making the company the UK’s largest private sector provider of such opportunities.
More than 150 of those interns have secured permanent roles within the company.
Mr Docherty said his favourite part of the job is creating an environment where people can excel.
He said: "That's the part I enjoy most.
"When that leads to success, it's an even better combination, because you've achieved it through the right mechanisms: high standards, but a place people genuinely enjoy coming to.
"Getting that balance of performance and purpose is something I really value, especially now as site leader, where I get to shape that culture directly.
"Earn Trust has always been my thing – building a strategy grounded in earned trust is why I love coming to work."
He said that two elements of Amazon's training and development programmes have been particularly valuable to him.
He said: "Amazon funded my NEBOSH (National General Certificate in Occupational Health & Safety) qualification, which has been invaluable in my operations roles.
"As well as that, I completed a programme on Multipliers by Liz Wiseman – that's genuinely shaped my leadership style.
"It's about being a leader who amplifies the talent around you rather than diminishing it and it's something I try to live by every day."
For those considering a career at Amazon, Mr Docherty offered some encouragement.
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He said: "Give it a go. Amazon lives by its motto of 'Work Hard, Have Fun, Make History.'
"It's an incredibly fast-paced environment full of ambitious people.
"If you can always put the customer first in everything you do, you'll find the rest follows naturally.
"But also lean into your own superpowers.
"They're what will set you apart."