About James:

James began in business working out of a room the size of a shoebox on Pall Mall and has been creating, building, and selling businesses ever since.

Most likely to say in the Den:

"You value your company at £1 million. What planet are you on!?"

James's career to date

James says his father, who worked day and night to establish his leather-trading business when he moved to London from Pakistan in the 60s, is his inspiration to work hard, be successful and give something back.

He left school at 16 and rather than joining the family business decided to go it alone, taking office and retail jobs until he found his forte in recruitment. In 1985, he set up the Alexander Mann Group, one of the UK's leading HR outsourcing companies, and achieved a turnover of £130m before selling it to a private equity firm in 2002.

James also co-founded an executive headhunting firm with partner Doug Bougie, which they successfully expanded globally through its Humana International brand, growing to over 147 offices across 30 countries before it was bought by a New York-listed company.

A graduate of Harvard Business School's prestigious Advanced Management Programme, in 2003 Caan was named PricewaterhouseCoopers' Entrepreneur of the Year and was recently a Resident Entrepreneur Mentor for MBA students at London Business School

In 2006, the James Caan Foundation was set up to help children in both the western and developing world.  James supports the NSPCC’s full stop campaign as well as being involved in a number of educational charities, helping deprived children in the UK and India to get a good education.

James is also proud to have built schools in his native Lahore, Pakistan where local children can attend lessons for free. He lives in London with his wife and enjoys regularly meeting up with his two grown-up daughters.