James Daunt

James Daunt serves as Chief Executive Officer of major retail brands including Barnes & Noble, Paper Source, and Waterstones. His leadership encompasses over 1,100 stores operating across the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland, The Netherlands, and Belgium. Beyond these major corporations, Daunt launched his career by founding the independent London chain Daunt Books in 1990, which he still owns today.

After starting his independent business, Daunt was named Managing Director of Waterstones in 2011 and successfully turned the struggling retailer profitable. Following this achievement, investment firm Elliott Advisors acquired Waterstones, Barnes & Noble, and Paper Source, placing Daunt at the helm of each expansion. A Cambridge history graduate, Daunt was also named a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2022 for his contributions to the publishing industry.