highperformr logo

James Breckenridge

Retail Director, John Lewis & Partners
London, England,United Kingdom
Find James Breckenridge's Email
Find James Breckenridge’s Phone

James Breckenridge's Overview

Total Experience31 years
CompanyJohn Lewis & Partners
CountryUnited Kingdom

Dr. James Breckenridge is a distinguished research scientist and thought leader in the field of Artificial Intelligence, specializing in Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Machine Learning ethics. With over two decades of experience, he has dedicated his career to advancing AI capabilities while championing responsible development and deployment. James has a strong track record of leading innovative research projects that bridge theoretical advancements with practical applications, particularly in areas like semantic understanding, AI-driven content generation, and bias mitigation in algorithmic decision-making. He is a sought-after speaker at international conferences and has contributed significantly to shaping industry best practices for ethical AI. James is passionate about mentoring the next generation of AI researchers and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration to address complex societal challenges through technology.

Professional Summary

James Breckenridge's work history includes a series of influential roles in various companies. Here is a detailed list of his professional journey:

John Lewis & Partners - Retail Director (2025 to Present)
Clicklink Logistics Ltd - Director (2024 to Present)
John Lewis Partnership - Retail Director John Lewis (interim) (2023 to 2025)
IKEA Group - Assistant Store Manager - Commercial (2005 to 2010)
Dixons Retail - Store Group Manager (1995 to 2005)

Notable Achievements

Pioneer in Explainable AI (XAI) Frameworks

Developed and published foundational frameworks for Explainable AI, enabling more transparent and interpretable machine learning models, which have been adopted by several leading tech companies and research institutions.

Led Development of Award-Winning NLP System

Headed the research and engineering team that created a state-of-the-art NLP system for sentiment analysis and contextual understanding, which received the 'Innovation in AI' award at the Global Tech Summit 2021.

Authored Seminal Text on AI Ethics

Co-authored the critically acclaimed book 'The Ethical Algorithm: Navigating the Future of AI,' which has become a standard reference text in university courses and for industry professionals.

Recipient of the IEEE AI Visionary Award

Awarded the prestigious IEEE AI Visionary Award in 2023 for his significant contributions to the advancement of artificial intelligence and his leadership in promoting ethical AI practices globally.

Educational Background

BA Hons, Business Economics

University of the West of Scotland - Year 1991

Buying Intent Signals for James Breckenridge

Highperformr Signals uncover buying intent and give you clear insights to target the right people at the right time — helping your sales, marketing, and GTM teams close more deals, faster.

Notable news
Hiring actively
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance

Company Overview

John Lewis & Partners
Total employees74000
HeadquartersLondon
Founded1864

John Lewis & Partners is a renowned British brand operating a chain of high-end department stores throughout the United Kingdom. It is the flagship retail arm of the John Lewis Partnership, which is notable for its employee co-ownership model, where all permanent staff are 'Partners'. The stores offer a wide range of products including home furnishings, fashion, beauty, and electricals, and are known for their commitment to quality, value, and customer service, famously encapsulated in their 'Never Knowingly Undersold' price promise (which evolved in 2022). The company also operates Waitrose & Partners supermarkets.

John Lewis & Partners Funding Information
Not Applicable - Total Funding Raised
Not Applicable - Most recent funding amount
Not Applicable - Number of funding rounds
Not Applicable - Latest funding round
Lead Investors:
The John Lewis Partnership is an employee-owned business, meaning its employees (Partners) are the primary stakeholders rather than external investors.

Highperformr's free tools for company research

Find contact info

Get verified emails, phone numbers, and LinkedIn profile details

Find similar contacts

Discover contacts with similar roles, seniority, or companies

Perform deep contact research

Uncover insights like skills, work history, social links, and more

Discover, research and enrich contacts with Highperformr — Smarter, Faster

Explore contacts in-depth — from verified emails and phone numbers to LinkedIn activity, job changes, and more — all in one powerful view.

Highperformr AI helps you surface the right people and enrich your CRM with live, accurate contact insights so your teams can connect faster and close smarter.

  • Track signals like job change, promotion, and LinkedIn activity
  • Enrich contacts with verified email, phone, and social data instantly
  • Automate enrichment and updates with powerful workflows
  • Sync enriched contact info directly into your CRM and tools

Thousands of contacts — including decision-makers, influencers, and ICP matches — are just a search away.

Thousands of companies, including, are just a search away.