#166: James Daunt, managing director, Waterstones, CEO, Barnes & Noble

<p>Simon and Rachel speak to James Daunt, who runs both <a href="https://us13.mailchimp.com/mctx/clicks?url=https%3A%2F%2Fus13.mailchimp.com%2Fmctx%2Fclicks%3Furl%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.barnesandnoble.com%252F%26xid%3Dee0a5fc2e1%26uid%3D57080101%26iid%3Df44a03a8d1%26pool%3Dcts%26v%3D2%26c%3D1691428828%26h%3Df65b46e5e8683adb2e6a5c7babc4ea140f54f1335cee173b8452689e3b0f5c3c&xid=cd74f5c015&uid=57080101&iid=f44a03a8d1&pool=cts&v=2&c=1691429949&h=097610613f46e03dbf9dcbaca872f7a14075c45c63904c2de1aea641677bc8ca" target="_blank">Barnes &amp; Noble</a>, the world’s largest retail bookseller, and <a href="https://us13.mailchimp.com/mctx/clicks?url=https%3A%2F%2Fus13.mailchimp.com%2Fmctx%2Fclicks%3Furl%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.waterstones.com%252F%26xid%3Dee0a5fc2e1%26uid%3D57080101%26iid%3Df44a03a8d1%26pool%3Dcts%26v%3D2%26c%3D1691428828%26h%3Dbbcd6b6fced65dc4d6ffb1123fdd6a6ae1b4b8e1d9c87e507192882bdef8ea33&xid=cd74f5c015&uid=57080101&iid=f44a03a8d1&pool=cts&v=2&c=1691429949&h=36d65ff8ac2b538ade0a6a266afdb0efb9b836e8441a9a7659cd11ff11b08236" target="_blank">Waterstones</a>, the largest retail bookseller in the United Kingdom. James currently oversees approximately 600 Barnes &amp; Noble shops<strong> </strong>in the United States and 293 Waterstones locations across the UK, Ireland, the Netherlands and Belgium. After an early career as an investment banker, James opened his own bookstore, <a href="https://us13.mailchimp.com/mctx/clicks?url=https%3A%2F%2Fus13.mailchimp.com%2Fmctx%2Fclicks%3Furl%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fdauntbooks.co.uk%252F%26xid%3Dee0a5fc2e1%26uid%3D57080101%26iid%3Df44a03a8d1%26pool%3Dcts%26v%3D2%26c%3D1691428828%26h%3Dd46c2e96a281c282d466a3be5a975607784655b3a735bf4154c573e6a7200cf4&xid=cd74f5c015&uid=57080101&iid=f44a03a8d1&pool=cts&v=2&c=1691429949&h=82800c043ecaaca02e57c97ac04eec98cc0f1de21bb172fe2961861b35f5627f" target="_blank">Daunt Books</a>, in London in 1990. In 2011 James was appointed managing director of Waterstones when the struggling bookseller was bought by a Russian businessman, <a href="