Carr was born and grew up in Nottingham,[1] the son of a car dealer father and ballet teacher mother.

He subsequently moved to Honeywell, working on the installation of mainframes in some of Britain's biggest companies.

[3][4] Carr's first period on a company board began in 1994 when he became CEO of Williams Holdings.

[3] Carr was a senior advisor to Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, the American private equity firm, but stepped back in 2008 when KKR considered a takeover bid for Mitchells & Butlers.

[7] In 2008, Carr became the chairman of Cadbury plc, the United Kingdom's largest confectionery manufacturer.