HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

James Caan (born Nazim Khan; 28 December 1960) is a British-Pakistani entrepreneur and television personality. He was an investor on the BBC television programme ''
Dragons' Den ''Dragons' Den'' is a reality television program format in which entrepreneurs pitch their business ideas to a panel of venture capitalists in the hope of securing investment finance from them. The program originated in 2001 in Japan, where it is k ...
'', in which he was one of the Dragons from 2007 to 2010. More recently, he has hosted ''The Business Class'' on
CNBC CNBC (formerly Consumer News and Business Channel) is an American basic cable business news channel. It provides business news programming on weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Eastern Time, while broadcasting talk sho ...
, a series which sees him joined by experts from a cross-section of industries to analyse and advise innovative UK small and medium enterprises. He is also Chairman of the UK Government's
Start Up Loans Scheme The Start Up Loans Scheme is a UK government backed programme that offers finance, mentoring and support to entrepreneurs Entrepreneurship is the creation or extraction of economic value. With this definition, entrepreneurship is viewed as ch ...
. Caan founded the recruitment company Alexander Mann in 1985, which he sold in 2002. In 1993, he co-founded the executive head-hunting firm Humana International, and sold his stake in 1999. He is also the founder and current CEO of the UK-based private equity firm Hamilton Bradshaw.


Early life and education

Born in
Lahore Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city ...
, Pakistan, Caan's family emigrated to the United Kingdom when he was two years old. Caan's father had intended for his son to join the family business, but Caan, at 16, left home, which led to Caan's estrangement from his father for many years. He had no university education, and in 2003, attended the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School. He had various jobs and ended up working for several recruitment companies; Caan started his own recruitment company in the early 1980s. His first office was in Pall Mall, which was tiny, but he chose the prestigious address to add credibility to his business.


Career


Business

He founded the recruitment company Alexander Mann in 1987. In 1993, Caan co-founded the executive headhunting firm Humana International with Doug Bugie, eventually growing the business to over 147 offices in 30 countries. In the same year, Caan launched the trade magazine ''Recruitment International'', which he sold in 2000. In 1996, Caan co-founded the
business process outsourcing Outsourcing is an agreement in which one company hires another company to be responsible for a planned or existing activity which otherwise is or could be carried out internally, i.e. in-house, and sometimes involves transferring employees and ...
company AMS with Rosaleen Blair. Caan subsequently sold his interests in AMS in 2002. In 1999, Caan sold Humana International to CDI International, a New York listed company. Later in that year, Caan sold a minority stake in Alexander Mann Group to private equity firm
Advent International Advent International is a global private equity firm focused on buyouts of companies in Western and Central Europe, North America, Latin America and Asia. The firm focuses on international buyouts, growth and strategic restructuring in five core ...
. In 2002, Caan sold his interests in Alexander Mann, which by that time had a turnover of around £130m. In 2004, Caan established the London-based private equity firm Hamilton Bradshaw, an investment group that specialises in Seed Capital and Growth Capital for recruitment businesses. Founded in 2013, Recruitment Entrepreneur is the Seed Capital arm of Hamilton Bradshaw which provides the seed funding and support for ambitious, experienced recruitment professionals to start, or scale, their own recruitment ventures. In 2009, Caan launched HBRIDA, with his then business partner Helen Reynolds (ex ACEO of the REC). HBRIDA worked with SME recruitment agencies to help them achieve growth and led them to an exit. Reynolds performed a management buyout of the business in March 2012. In 2010, Caan launched The Entrepreneurs Business Academy and became a non–Executive Director of
McCann London McCann, formerly McCann Erickson, is an American global advertising agency network, with offices in 120 countries. McCann is part of The Interpublic Group of Companies#McCann Worldgroup, McCann Worldgroup, along with several other agencies, inclu ...
. In 2011, Caan founded Hamilton Bradshaw Venture Partners. In 2012/13, Caan launched Hamilton Bradshaw Real Estate (HBRE) to invest in "disruptive property start-ups". In June 2013, Caan gave an interview in which he criticised parents who aid their children with finding jobs and don't let them 'stand on their own two feet', he was accused of hypocrisy when it emerged that he had employed his own daughter in one of his companies. Caan responded that his daughter's recruitment process had been "rigorous". However, in an interview with ''
The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publish ...
'' Caan admitted, "I would find it very difficult not to help my child". Caan was recognised in the 2015 New Year Honours List, with a Commander of the Order of the British Empire for services to entrepreneurship and charitable services through the James Caan Foundation.


Television

In 2007, Caan joined the panel of ''Dragons' Den'' judges for the fifth series of the show. Hilary Devey replaced James Caan on Dragons Den in 2012. In 2012, he was approached by CNBC to host The Business Class, a series which sees him joined by experts from a cross-section of industries, looking at the challenges and opportunities faced by UK SMEs. Each 30-minute episode featured an innovative business which was seeking guidance to help it grow in the marketplace. The popularity of the series saw it recommissioned for a second series in October 2013.


Social media

In 2011, James Caan launched his mobile app 'James Caan Business Secrets'. Within weeks of launching the app rose to Number 1 in the iTunes chart and later became the fastest downloaded Business app of the year. It has regularly been ranked as a top business app by various publications, it has received over 250,000 downloads and has more than 1.5 million sessions.


Author

Caan has written several books on business and his life. The first book covered his life story: ''The Real Deal – My Story from Brick Lane to Dragons' Den'' (2008). Following publications focused on business and entrepreneurship: ''Get the Job You Really Want'', ''Start Your Business in 7 Days'', and ''Get the Life You Really Want''.


Public sector

Caan has been involved with the British Government and their agencies on a number of initiatives related to UK business for many years. These include The Government Entrepreneur's Forum and The Department for International Development (DFID) where he worked on the relief effort after the 2010 Pakistan flood.


The Start Up Loans Company

In May 2012, Caan was approached by the government to become Chairman of the '' Start Up Loans'' initiative. The aim is to support young people with funding and mentoring to start up new businesses in the UK. Over £112 million of loans were to be offered to 18- to 30-year-olds over a 3-year period. James and his board of entrepreneur ambassadors head up the government scheme, providing loans of around £2,500 to the 18- to 30-year-olds to start their own businesses.


Charitable activities


The James Caan Foundation

Caan founded the James Caan Foundation (JCF) in 2006 after he took a 'gap year' to visit his homeland of Pakistan. The JCF supports charities in the UK and seeks to promote greater awareness of issues facing the developing world, with a primary focus on children's access to education and healthcare. The JCF has funded the construction of a new school at his birthplace
Lahore Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city ...
, located in the eastern province of
Punjab Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising a ...
. Since first purchasing a barren plot of land and opening the 16-classroom school in 2005, the TCF School, named after Caan's father, educates over 420 children aged between 5–11.


2010 Pakistan floods

In July 2010, Caan flew to Pakistan immediately after the worst flooding in the country's history and personally purchased, prepared and delivered emergency food parcels to families in the Northern village of Nowshera. Upon his return to the UK Caan partnered with
UNICEF UNICEF (), originally called the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in full, now officially United Nations Children's Fund, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to ...
to provide urgent food, medical supplies and water and hygiene kits to 1,000 families in the affected area. Caan also undertook an extensive media outreach campaign and his trip was widely covered in national newspapers. After just two weeks, Caan had raised £100,000 for UNICEF. Caan and the James Caan Foundation subsequently undertook a project to rebuild a village in Pakistan, including schools, hospitals, homes and all infrastructure and water supplies. Aid agencies including UNICEF, Oxfam,
Islamic Relief Islamic Relief Worldwide is a faith-inspired humanitarian and development agency which is working to support and empower the world’s most vulnerable people. Founded in the United Kingdom in 1984, Islamic Relief has international headquarter ...
, Muslim Hands and
Mosaic A mosaic is a pattern or image made of small regular or irregular pieces of colored stone, glass or ceramic, held in place by plaster/mortar, and covering a surface. Mosaics are often used as floor and wall decoration, and were particularly pop ...
were also involved in the project.


Controversy

Caan drew criticism when he was caught on camera offering to buy a baby for his brother for £725 from a family that was a victim of the 2010 Pakistan flood despite having a multi-million pound net-worth at the time. He later stated that he regretted the incident and described his behaviour as "clearly wrong". Caan was later filmed saying: "If there's an opportunity to give a life a chance of survival, it's more an emotional response than a rational decision.", "What I have to remember is that I am here to build a village". The father of the baby responded to those comments, stating "I am not a trader of my children ..I can beg for my children but I cannot even think to sell them" and "I cannot believe such disrespect to a mother and father to believe you can take one of their children from them for the payment of money ..I cannot believe what a man who is a father has tried to do".


Other

Caan is involved with and supports other charities including
The Prince's Trust The Prince's Trust ( cy, Ymddiriedolaeth y Tywysog) is a charity in the United Kingdom founded in 1976 by King Charles III (then Prince of Wales) to help vulnerable young people get their lives on track. It supports 11-to-30-year-olds who are u ...
,
Marie Curie Marie Salomea Skłodowska–Curie ( , , ; born Maria Salomea Skłodowska, ; 7 November 1867 – 4 July 1934) was a Polish and naturalized-French physicist and chemist who conducted pioneering research on radioactivity. She was the first ...
,
Mosaic A mosaic is a pattern or image made of small regular or irregular pieces of colored stone, glass or ceramic, held in place by plaster/mortar, and covering a surface. Mosaics are often used as floor and wall decoration, and were particularly pop ...
, Care Foundation the
NSPCC The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) is a British child protection charity. History Victorian era On a trip to New York in 1881, Liverpudlian businessman Thomas Agnew was inspired by a visit to the New Yor ...
and PENNY APPEAL. In 2009 Caan was appointed chairman of The Big Issue Company. Caan was appointed
Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...
(CBE) in the 2015 New Year Honours for services to entrepreneurship and charitable services.


Publications

*2008 – ''The Real Deal' (autobiography) *2011 – ''Get the Job You Really Want'' *2012 – ''Get the Life you Really Want'' *2012 – ''Start Your Business in 7 Days''


Honours

*Honorary doctorate in Business Administration from Leeds Met University (2009) *Honorary degree from the
University of East London , mottoeng = Knowledge and the fulfilment of vows , established = 1898 – West Ham Technical Institute1952 – West Ham College of Technology1970 – North East London Polytechnic1989 – Polytechnic of East London ...
*Honorary doctorate in Business Administration from
York St John University , mottoeng = They may have life and have it more abundantly , established = , type = Public , administrative_staff = 618 , chancellor = Reeta Chakrabarti , vice_chancellor = Professor Karen Bryan , student ...
(2010) *Honorary doctorate from
University of Bradford The University of Bradford is a public research university located in the city of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. A plate glass university, it received its royal charter in 1966, making it the 40th university to be created in Britain, but ...
(2012)


Awards and nominations

In January 2013, Caan was awarded the Entrepreneur of the Year award at the
British Muslim Awards The British Muslim Awards are an annual award ceremony that honours the success and achievements of British Muslim individuals, groups and businesses. It was established in 2013. Overview The British Muslim Awards was founded by Oceanic Consult ...
. Also in 2013, he was named Chairman of the Year at the International Business Awards. In January 2014, he was a finalist for the Entrepreneur of the Year award at the British Muslim Awards. In January 2015, he was nominated for the Businessman of the Year award at the British Muslim Awards. On 29 October 2015, Caan was listed by UK-based company Richtopia at number 16 in the list of 100 Most Influential British Entrepreneurs.


See also

*
List of British Pakistanis The following is a list of notable British Pakistanis, namely notable citizens or residents of the United Kingdom whose ethnic origins lie in Pakistan: Academia and education Humanities * Sara Ahmed – professor of Race and Cultural Studies ...


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Caan, James 1960 births Living people British people of Punjabi descent Pakistani emigrants to the United Kingdom Naturalised citizens of the United Kingdom British expatriates in Monaco British businesspeople Businesspeople of Pakistani descent British businesspeople of Pakistani descent Private equity and venture capital investors Businesspeople from Lahore Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Pakistani expatriates in Monaco