Former army captain Tony Harris now leads a team of 300 at Amazon’s Dunstable fulfilment centre, carrying his battlefield leadership into the civilian workplace.
Multiple tours and a life-changing injury
Tony Harris always knew he wanted to lead. He joined the British Army as an officer and went on to complete six operational tours – including multiple deployments to Northern Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2009, while commanding a specialist team in Helmand province, Afghanistan, Harris was severely injured when his vehicle struck an improvised explosive device. “I was launched twenty metres into the air,” he recalls, and the blast left him with devastating injuries to his feet and arm. Infection set in, leading to over 30 surgical operations in ten months. Ultimately, Harris made the courageous decision to have his shattered lower leg amputated. “I didn’t want to be defined by my physical self. So, I said ‘let’s cut it off and start again.’ It was the best decision I made in the whole process,” he reflects. This life-changing incident ended Harris’ military career, but it did not extinguish his drive or leadership spirit. In fact, he was proud to see how well his soldiers reacted under pressure that day – a testament to the confidence and ownership he had cultivated in his team.
Rebuilding resilience after service
Leaving the army as a combat-wounded veteran posed significant physical and emotional challenges. Harris channelled the determination and resilience honed in the military into new pursuits as part of his recovery. Together with a close friend, he co-founded Race2Recovery, a motorsport team of injured ex-servicemen. Remarkably, they became the first ever amputee team to complete the gruelling Dakar Rally – racing across the desert twice and raising over £350,000 for the Help for Heroes charity in the process. Harris also competed in the inaugural Invictus Games in 2014, where his team won a gold medal in sitting volleyball. He credits these achievements with rebuilding his physical and mental fortitude. Each milestone – finishing the Dakar or standing on the Invictus podium – proved that the day he was blown up was not the defining end of his story, but rather the beginning of a new chapter of strength. “Participating [in Invictus] helped rebuild my physical and mental resilience… reminding ourselves that these experiences could make us stronger than we were before,” Harris says, describing how regaining a sense of purpose beyond uniform was a key step in his recovery.
Launching a new career in operations
After overcoming his injuries and finding personal redemption through sport, Harris turned to the question of life after service. He spent four years running a leadership coaching company with fellow veterans, teaching young people how to be authentic leaders. This venture allowed him to translate his army-honed leadership principles into the civilian world, but eventually Harris felt it was time to “stop coaching and start doing” – he missed being part of a large operational team himself. Around this time, he spoke with a former Navy friend who was thriving at Amazon. The conversation opened Harris’ eyes to new possibilities. Amazon, a signatory of the Armed Forces Covenant, was actively recruiting ex-military talent, and the prospect of working in a high-performance, mission-driven environment appealed to him. “It piqued my interest,” he recalls. “I wanted to do something with purpose, working with high-performing people and challenging myself on the largest scale to have an impact. Amazon ticked all those boxes.” In 2019, Harris took the plunge and joined Amazon’s operations division as an area manager at the Dunstable fulfilment centre – his first step into the world of civilian logistics. This entry-level management role gave him the space to learn on the job, adapting his military skill set to a fast-paced commercial setting. He embraced the challenge, drawing on his background in planning and leading under pressure to quickly get up to speed with Amazon’s processes.
Thriving in operations management
Harris’ transition from military leader to Amazon manager proved to be a natural fit. Before long, his hard work and effective leadership led to a promotion to operations manager, where he now oversees about 300 staff in the 800,000 sq. ft. fulfilment centre. In this senior role, he is responsible for keeping complex warehouse operations running smoothly – a mission that requires coordination, discipline and problem-solving under pressure. Not surprisingly, these are the very strengths Harris cultivated in the army. “After managing my own business and sharing leadership advice, I was keen to get back to leading large groups of people and developing a shared sense of purpose. In this sense, Amazon is a land of great adventure, there is so much going on,” he says of the lively environment in the fulfilment centre. His battlefield experience taught him to remain calm and mission-focused amid chaos, a quality that now helps him meet daily targets and safety standards on the warehouse floor. Harris also appreciates that the role is hands-on and dynamic. “I love the fact that I’m not stuck behind a desk but I am able to shape the environment around me, to make it safer, more sustainable and more fun,” he adds, highlighting how much he enjoys improving operational processes and team morale. To bolster his business acumen, Harris even completed an MBA alongside his job – a testament to his commitment to continuous improvement. His supervisors have noted that he brings a rare mix of humility and decisiveness to the role, empowering those around him much as he did with his soldiers. By leveraging his military leadership in a new context, Harris has quickly proven himself an asset in Amazon’s logistics network, helping deliver results in the civilian sector much as he delivered on the front lines. For over a year, he has served as head of strategic supply chain management, EU consumables.
Mentoring and giving back
Today, Harris not only excels in his civilian career but also remains dedicated to giving back to the veteran community. He volunteers as a trustee with Blesma, the limbless veterans’ charity, supporting others who have suffered life-altering injuries. He has not forgotten the support he received during his transition and is passionate about paying it forward. Harris often shares his story at veterans’ events and in the workplace, hoping to inspire fellow service leavers to see the value of their skills. His message to other ex-forces personnel is one of confidence and encouragement: “You have all the skills you need to succeed. You’ll be surprised by how much you actually have to offer from your past experiences – you’ve done great things, and you can continue that here.” By highlighting how discipline, teamwork and adaptability gained in uniform can translate into civilian success, Harris is helping dispel doubts that many transitioning veterans face. In mentoring others, he exemplifies the very leadership he teaches – leading by example. From surviving a battlefield blast to thriving as an operations manager, Harris’s journey showcases how military-acquired skills and mindset can fuel extraordinary success in civilian life. His story stands as powerful proof that with resilience, preparation, and the right support, ex-military professionals can carve out a new mission and make an outsized impact beyond the armed forces.
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