James joined Prezzo as CEO in November 2024, tasked with leading the rejuvenation of the much-loved high street restaurant brand. Prior to this, he spent a decade at BrewDog, joining in 2014 as Retail Director when the company operated just 16 sites. He went on to serve as Managing Director and ultimately CEO of BrewDog Bars, leading a global team of over 2,300 staff across more than 135 locations spanning Australia, Middle East, Asia, Europe, and the United States.

James played a pivotal role in some of BrewDog’s most ambitious expansions, including the launch of BrewDog Waterloo, one of London’s largest bars and a multi-experience flagship venue, and BrewDog Las Vegas, a two-storey craft beer destination with a rooftop overlooking the Las Vegas Strip.

He is also the founder of TiPJAR, the world’s first digital tipping platform, which enables transparent and fair tip distribution for over 5,000 hospitality venues and more than 150,000 tipped workers across the UK, US, and EU.