From Cruise Ship Purser to Bookstore Reviver: James Daunt Leads Barnes & Noble's Comeback

James Daunt’s career began far from books, first as a purser for Carnival Cruise Lines and later as an investment banker at JPMorgan. He later opened Daunt Books in London’s Marylebone, later expanding into a small chain and a publishing imprint. After reviving the struggling UK retailer Waterstones, Daunt was recruited to lead Barnes & Noble following its 2019 purchase by Elliot Advisors.

Rejecting a one-size-fits-all model, he has empowered store managers to select titles, design displays, and respond to local tastes. The decentralized strategy has boosted the chain to 717 brick-and-mortar locations, nearly 100 more than in 2019. Daunt acknowledges rumors of an IPO but stresses that any public offering must preserve the local-store focus he has championed.