Sebastian James

The son of Christopher James, 5th Baron Northbourne, he was educated at Eton College and Magdalen College, Oxford, where he was a member of the Bullingdon Club with former Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron, and Boris Johnson.{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/camerons-cronies-the-bullingdon-clubs-class-of-87-436192.html|title=Cameron's cronies: The Bullingdon Club's class of '87|work=The Independent|accessdate=8 May 2014}} He is a family friend of David Cameron.{{cite news|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/business/business-interview-seb-james-the-selfieloving-boss-with-plans-to-nurse-boots-back-to-health-a4150866.html|title=Business interview: Seb James - the selfie-loving boss with plans to nurse Boots back to health|publisher=The Evening Standard|accessdate=25 May 2011}} The two were on holiday together in Italy in August 2011 when Cameron had to return to deal with the London riots. James was given a job in government on 5 July 2010, by Education Secretary Michael Gove, reviewing state school spending.{{cite hansard| jurisdiction=UK | title=Education Funding | url=https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2010-07-05/debates/10070511000002/EducationFunding | house=House of Commons | date=5 July 2010 | column=49 | speaker=Michael Gove | position=Education Secretary}}{{Cite web|title=The James Review of Education Capital Spending|url=https://www.londoncouncils.gov.uk/node/1050|access-date=2022-01-19}} He earned an MBA from INSEAD in 1991.‘JAMES, Hon. Sebastian Richard Edward Cuthbert’, Who's Who 2014, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 2014; online edn, Oxford University Press, 2013

James started his career at Bain & Co, including being project leader with focus on retail and investment banking systems and transaction management. He was the chief executive of Synergy Insurance Services Limited, and strategy director responsible for developing and implementing the turnaround strategy at Mothercare.

He joined Dixons Retail in 2008 as development director managing its Currys transformation programme, becoming group CEO in 2012.{{cite web|title=Executive Profile|url=http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/people/person.asp?personId=813822&ticker=DXNS:LN|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140515212608/http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/people/person.asp?personId=813822&ticker=DXNS:LN|url-status=dead|archive-date=15 May 2014|work=Business Week|accessdate=15 May 2014}}

James was appointed CEO of Dixons Carphone in August 2014 following the merger of Dixons Retail with Carphone Warehouse.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-27428814 |title=Dixons and Carphone Warehouse announce £3.8bn merger - BBC News |work=BBC News |date= |accessdate=10 August 2015}} He was recognised as the mobile industry person of the year for his achievements with the merger.{{cite web|url=http://www.mobiletoday.co.uk/power50/2015/Sebastian_James/679 |title=Sebastian James : Power50 2015 profile |publisher=Mobiletoday.co.uk |date=4 June 2015 |accessdate=10 August 2015}}

In January 2018, James resigned as CEO of Dixons Carphone, to run Boots UK, "in a surprise move days before it updates the City on its Christmas trading performance", and was succeeded by Alex Baldock, who had been CEO of the online retailer Shop Direct since 2012.{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/jan/20/dixons-carphone-ceo-sebastian-james-will-step-down-to-run-chemist-chain-boots|title=Dixons Carphone CEO will step down to run chemist chain Boots|first=Nicola|last=Slawson|date=20 January 2018|website=The Guardian|accessdate=20 January 2018}}{{cite web|url=https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-dixons-carphone-moves-ceo/dixons-carphone-ceo-james-quits-for-job-at-boots-idUKKBN1F82NC|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180120023712/https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-dixons-carphone-moves-ceo/dixons-carphone-ceo-james-quits-for-job-at-boots-idUKKBN1F82NC|url-status=dead|archive-date=20 January 2018|title=Dixons Carphone CEO James quits for job at Boots|last=Editorial|date=|website=reuters.com|accessdate=20 January 2018}}

James is a non-executive director of Direct Line Insurance Group plc,{{cite web|author=|date=28 August 2014|title=MOVES-Direct Line Insurance Group appoints Sebastian James to its board|url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/moves-direct-line-ins-sebastian-idUKL3N0QY3JT20140828|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160820025042/http://uk.reuters.com/article/moves-direct-line-ins-sebastian-idUKL3N0QY3JT20140828|url-status=dead|archive-date=20 August 2016|publisher=Uk.reuters.com|accessdate=10 August 2015}} and a trustee of English Heritage.{{cite web|author=|date=26 March 2023|title=English Heritage, Our Trustees|url=https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/about-us/our-people/our-trustees/|publisher=www.english-heritage.org.uk|accessdate=26 March 2023}} He was previously Chair of the Remuneration Committee and a trustee for Save the Children. He has also served as a trustee for Modern Art Oxford and Techknowledge for Schools.{{cite web|date=|title=Officer Profile|url=http://uk.reuters.com/business/quotes/officerProfile?symbol=DC.L&officerId=2538543|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141104190629/http://uk.reuters.com/business/quotes/officerProfile?symbol=DC.L&officerId=2538543|archive-date=4 November 2014|publisher=Reuters|accessdate=10 August 2015}}

From 2018 to 2024, James was a senior vice president of Walgreens Boots Alliance, and president and managing director of Boots UK.

Since November 2024, James has been the CEO of Veonet, a European ophthalmological clinic group.{{Cite web |title=Boots chief James to run ophthalmology chain Veonet |url=https://news.sky.com/story/boots-chief-james-to-run-ophthalmology-chain-veonet-13161258 |access-date=2025-01-31 |website=Sky News |language=en}}

In the runup to the 2024 UK general election James endorsed the Labour Party citing the focus on economic growth and he welcomed Labour’s plans to “put more money in people’s pockets” to help address the cost of living crisis, which he said Boots customers still complain about daily. James's support for the Labour Party was notable not only because of his role as a leader in the business community, but more so for his connection to high-ranking conservative party figures Boris Johnson and David Cameron. Cameron, James, and Johnson all went to Eton together, and later all three men were members of the Bullingdon Club, with all three being in the infamous black and white group picture in 1987 that later made negative news headlines. James's friendship with Cameron went into adulthood with the two going on holiday together to James's Italian villa in 2011, and Cameron put James on a panel to decide how money was spent on new schools in 2012.{{cite web |last1=Mitchell |first1=Archie |title=David Cameron’s Bullingdon Club pal endorses Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/keir-starmer-seb-james-labour-election-bullingdon-b2546131.html |website=independent.co.uk |access-date=24 July 2024 |date=16 May 2024}}

James is married, and has four children.{{Citation needed|date=May 2024}}

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Category:1966 births

Category:Alumni of Magdalen College, Oxford

Category:British people of American descent

Category:British people of French descent

Category:British people of Greek descent

Category:British retail chief executives

Category:Bullingdon Club members

Category:INSEAD alumni

Category:Living people

Sebastian

Category:People educated at Eton College

Category:Walgreens people

Category:Younger sons of barons