James Caan

James Caan (born Nazim Khan; 28 December 1960) is a British-Pakistani entrepreneur and television personality. He was an investor on the BBC television programme Dragons' Den, in which he was one of the Dragons from 2007 to 2010. More recently, he has hosted The Business Class on CNBC, a series which sees him joined by experts from a cross-section of industries to analyse and advise innovative UK small and medium enterprises. He is also Chairman of the UK Government's Start Up Loans Scheme. Caan founded the recruitment company Alexander Mann in 1985, which he sold in 2002. In 1993, he co-founded the executive head-hunting firm Humana International, and sold his stake in 1999. He is also the founder and current CEO of the UK-based private equity firm Hamilton Bradshaw. Early life and education Born in Lahore, Pakistan, Caan's family emigrated to the United Kingdom when he was two years old. Caan's father had intended for his son to join the family business but Caan left home at 16, which led to Caan's estrangement from his father for many years. He had no university education and in 2003, attended the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School. He had various jobs and ended up working for several recruitment companies; Caan started his own recruitment company in the early 1980s. His first office, which was tiny, was in Pall Mall, but he chose the prestigious address to add credibility to his business.