James Timpson OBE, CEO of the family-owned Timpson Group, manages over 2,000 UK high-street retail locations, including Timpsons, Snappy Snaps, Max Spielman, and The Watch Lab.
Beyond his business role, he chairs the Prison Reform Trust and offers guidance in both private and public sectors.
His leadership has seen Timpson thrive against the high street's decline, prioritising employee happiness and customer service.
His book, "The Happy Index," reveals the company's strategy of empowering employees, such as offering free dry-cleaning for job interviewees, birthday leave, and autonomy in store management.
James also invests in employee well-being, providing holiday homes and appointing a Director of Happiness, fostering a culture of kindness and trust.
His approach to business, focusing on empathy, employee empowerment, and community contribution, offers a model for creating a successful, inclusive company culture.
James's insights into building a future where companies genuinely care for their teams have made him a respected figure in advocating for upside-down management and a more compassionate business world.
Discover the secrets of upside-down management and doing the right thing with James Timpson's The Happy Index. That might seem like a simple concept to a CEO, manager, or director, but if you think about the hundreds of meetings and hours lost from your day responding to emails, signing off on projects, and more, you will notice that you are still working in a traditional, top-down mindset. Doing this means the team you work with only sees themselves as a cog in the machine instead of the trusted, valued colleagues that they are. The Happy Index offers lessons to equip you and the people you work with with tools and tactics to reevaluate how you manage your business. Offering insight into the ways in which James has overseen the family business, he firmly believes that you will see the benefits of working with an upside-down mindset, not only for financial success but also for your team’s well-being and happiness.