James Caan (entrepreneur)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
James Caan (original name Nazam Khan) is a British Asian entrepreneur of Pakistani origin. He is CEO of private equity firm Hamilton Bradshaw and has been building and selling businesses since 1985.
Having founded the Alexander Mann Group in 1985, an executive head hunting firm with a turnover of £300m and operations in 50 countries, Caan sold the company in 2002.[1]
Caan also co-founded executive head-hunting firm Humana International with his partner Doug Bugie, growing the business to over 147 offices across 30 countries from 1993-1999.[2]
In 2001 Caan was awarded the 'BT Enterprise of the Year' award for outstanding success in business and having already been a finalist in 2000 he was named PricewaterhouseCoopers 'Entrepreneur of the Year' 2003. That same year, having successfully graduated from the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School, Caan also won the Entrepreneur category in the Asian Jewel Awards.[3]
Setting up London-based Hamilton Bradshaw in 2004, the private equity company specialises in buyouts, venture capital, turnarounds and real estate investments and development opportunities in both the UK and Europe,[4] investing up to £10 million in each individual transaction.
In October 2007, Caan joined the panel in the fifth series of BBC Two's Dragons' Den.[5]
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[edit] Career Timeline
1985: Founded executive headhunting firm Alexander Mann
1992: Appointed Jonathan Wright to run the business and stepped back to develop other business interests
1993: Co-founded executive headhunting firm Humana International with Doug Bugie, eventually growing the business to over 147 offices in 30 countries
Launched trade magazine Recruitment International – sold business in 2000
1996: Set up business process outsourcing company AMS with Rosaleen Blair -sold in 2002
1999: Sold Humana International to CDI International, a New York listed company. Later in 1999, sold a minority stake in Alexander Mann Group for £25m. Valued the business at £60m to private equity with Advent International
2000: Shortlisted for PricewaterhouseCoopers’ Entrepreneur of the Year award
2001: Awarded BT Enterprise of the Year award for outstanding success in business
2002: Sold Alexander Mann, which at the time had a turnover of £130m and operations in Australia, Europe and Asia
2003: Graduated from the Advanced Management Programme at Harvard Business School
Named PricewaterhouseCoopers Entrepreneur of the Year
Won Entrepreneur of the Year at the Asian Jewel Awards
2004: Established London-based private equity firm Hamilton Bradshaw
Invested in managed office provider Avanta - sold three years later to private equity company Kenmore
2005: Named one of the 100 most influential Asian people in the UK by Asian Power 100, a list compiled by the Institute of Asian Professionals
2006: Acquired failing sandwich chain Benjys from administrators Deloitte but soon realised the business couldn’t survive in a flooded market. Handed the company to fellow administrators KPMG in February 2007 but gained from the company’s business locations
2007: Hamilton Bradshaw bought public and private sector recruitment specialist Eden Brown with revenues at over £180m. The company has already increased profits by 70% through a combination of investment and greater efficiency in the fist 6 months of ownership
Sold final economic interest in Alexander Mann Group to Graphite Private Equity in a management buy-out lead by Rosaleen Blair – one of the young entrepreneurs who he backed as a start-up in a £93m buyout
Joined the panel of Dragons’ Den judges for the fifth series of the show.
[edit] More about James Caan
He enjoys skiing, tennis and snooker and vintage cars are another passion. James gave himself a year off when he turned forty and learnt to fly airplanes and helicopters. He also took up sailing in between studies at Harvard Business School.
James set up The James Caan Foundation in 2006 and is involved in a number of charitable organisations in the UK and abroad.
In December 2007 James attended the holy pilgrimage known as the Hajj in Saudi Arabia, an act compulsory upon all muslims who can afford it. It completes 1 of the pillars of Islam.
