James Daunt

James Daunt is a British businessman and bookseller who serves as Chief Executive Officer of Barnes & Noble and Waterstones. He founded the independent Daunt Books chain in London in 1990 and later led the turnaround of Waterstones beginning in 2011 before assuming leadership of Barnes & Noble in 2019 following its acquisition by Elliott Advisors. He is best known for applying independent bookselling principles to large retail chains, including empowering local store managers to make curatorial decisions and eliminating publisher-paid placements.