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Profile: James Timpson

17/02/2024

James Timpson

BBC Radio 4 - Profile, James Timpson

The businessman known for hiring ex-offenders and championing prison reform.

The CEO of Timpson - best known for key cutting and shoe repair. Who is the businessman turned philanthropist, known for hiring ex-offenders and championing prison reform?

Timpson - best known for its key cutting and shoe repair services - has become a household name, with over 1000 stores on town high streets and in local supermarkets. But its current CEO, James Timpson, is probably better known for his pioneering work on prison employment. 

After being impressed by a prisoner in 2002, and offering him a job on release, James Timpson has worked to develop employment schemes for ex-offenders and campaigns for prison reform. Now, ten percent of the Timpson workforce is made up of ex-offenders. 

He has recently published a new book on his unusual approach to business: 'The Happy Index: Lessons in Upside-Down Management'. 

With a passion for dance music and old cars, who is this businessman turned philanthropist? 

Presenter: Timandra Harkness
Producers: Ellie House and Diane Richardson
Studio Manager: Rod Farquhar
Production Coordinator: Maria Ogundele
Editors: Richard Vadon and Matt Willis

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