Fresh Egg had a hugely successful Sussex Enterprise Show on October 14th at the Brighton centre. Aside from a host of very good business leads, our MD Adam Stafford also got a one-to-one session on the stand with lead conference speaker, James Caan!
CEO of private equity firm Hamilton Bradshaw, James Caan has been building and selling businesses since 1985, when he founded executive headhunting group Alexander Mann (and later co-founded Humana International) He grew Alexander Mann into a firm with a turnover of £130m and operations in 50 countries before selling it in 2002. In 2004 James Caan set up Hamilton Bradshaw, specialising in buyouts, venture capital, turnarounds and real estate investments and development opportunities.
Recognised in the business community as a real entrepreneur – he’s gained the BT Enterprise of the Year award for outstanding success in business, was named PricewaterhouseCoopers Entrepreneur of the Year 2003, graduated from the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School and won the Entrepreneur category in the Asian Jewel Awards – James Caan shot to real celebrity in 2007 when he joined the panel of cult BBC show Dragon’s Den.
Adam also attended James Caan’s conference presentation, and was tremendously impressed;
“I always thought James Caan was the most fair and reasonable Dragon on Dragon’s Den. In the flesh he certainly comes across as a very knowledgeable, sincere, humane and inspiring man. His advice and thoughts are also well worth listening to, especially his views that companies need to look at ‘value’ propositions and avoid the “herd” mentality of many UK institutions. He certainly chimed with my own thoughts when he maintained that business is not about a product – it’s about people who create success – and above all, it’s cool to be an entrepreneur.”
You can get more information and background on James Caan on his own website www.james-caan.com – or buy his autobiography, The Real Deal from Brick Lane to Dragon’s Den – which has recently been published. Adam will certainly be first in line for a copy!
It was a great day – thanks Sussex Enterprise for putting on a good event and we will be in contact with all the people who’s business cards we received!
I have just finished reading the James Caan book – The Real Deal: My Story from Brick Lane to the Dragons’ Den. It is a must read for any entrepreneur out there – check it out on Amazon!