Tony McGurk, re-universe
Tony McGurk
Founder & Head of Innovation
re-universe

Tony McGurk is the Founder and Head of Innovation at re-universe, an eco-fintech company on a mission to make reuse as easy as single use. With over 46 years of experience in technology, consulting, and innovation, Tony has spent his career developing practical solutions to complex challenges. In 2018, he led the creation of the world's first Digital Deposit Return Scheme (Digital DRS), laying the foundations for re-universe's pioneering "Invisible Returns" platform, which enables deposits to be returned automatically to consumers within seconds. Tony is a recognised advocate for the circular economy and believes that the combination of payments technology, QR codes, RFID, and real-time data can unlock reuse at scale. His work has been featured in Harvard Business Review and the Financial Times through Mastercard case studies highlighting the role of innovative payments in driving sustainable behaviour. His guiding principle is simple: "Behaviour change without changing behaviours" creating systems that make the sustainable choice the easiest choice.