James Allen
Partner @Bain & Company
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WORK HISTORY
Partner @Bain & Company
Co-head of Bain’s Global Strategy practice and founder of the Customer practice- Co-author of The Founder’s Mentality, a global best-seller on leadership, scale, and simplicity- Currently building The Founder’s Mentality: The CEO Sessions, a podcast focused on what happens when leaders truly listen—to their frontline teams, their customers, and their founding instincts. Increasingly driving initiatives in emerging markets.
EDUCATION
The Johns Hopkins University
Masters of International Economics
Kenyon College
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)
Harvard Business School
Master of Business Administration (MBA)
ABOUT JAMES ALLEN
James Allen is an advisory partner in Bain\'s London office and is recognised as a leading adviser to CEOs and expert in developing global corporate and business unit strategy. He is co-leader of Bain’s Global Strategy practice and founder of the firm’s Global Customer practice. He is a member of Bain’s European Consumer Products practice and its European Telecom & Technology practice. He has previously served two terms on Bain’s board of directors.With more than 25 years of consulting experience, James has advised clients on the development of global growth strategies, emerging market entry strategies and turnaround strategies. He is the coauthor of the book Repeatability: Build Enduring Businesses for a World of Constant Change (Harvard Business Review Press, 2012) and the best-selling Profit from the Core. Much of his current work is focused on the Founder’s Mentality (see He is the author or coauthor of numerous articles on growth, including “Voice of the Customer” (Harvard Management Update), “Growth Outside the Core” and “Growth Strategies that Work—Again and Again” (both Harvard Business Review), “Consumer of 2020” (Global Agenda), “Russian Roulette: Winning Lessons from Survivors” (European Business Journal), “Resolving the CEO’s dilemma” (Bain Brief) and “Closing the delivery gap: How to achieve true customer-led growth” (Bain Brief).James has focused much of his career working in developing markets, including as office head of Bain’s operations in the former Soviet Union. He is regularly invited to speak at high-profile CEO events, including the WEF. He sits on the Botswana Economic Advisory Council and has extensive experience working with governments and NGOs (including the World Bank, IFC, EBRD) in developing markets. In 2008, James started an independent music studio, Abubilla Music. He has since founded the Abubilla Music Foundation, which supports Singing Wells, a project working to preserve Kenyan village music.In 2024, James was invited to be a Senior Advisor and Guest Lecturer to the School of Founders.
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