James Lambert

James Lambert OBE is a Founder shareholder and Deputy Chairman of Value Retail PLC, which developed and operates Bicester Village and ten sister Villages in Europe and China. The Collection of Villages in Europe and China welcomes 45 million visitors annually including 7.3 million at Bicester Village alone. Bicester Village currently has the highest sales densities of any shopping centre in the world.

His pro bono activities are focused on education and the arts.

He is a founder Trustee of IntoUniversity, a local charity which has successfully scaled into a national charity with 31 centres. James recently retired as Chair and Trustee and sits on the Advisory Panel. The charity currently supports 42,500 young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to attain either a university place or another chosen aspiration. IntoUniversity was described by one Times columnist as ‘the most powerful engine for social mobility in the UK.’

He is a Trustee of Somerset House, a cultural centre in the heart of London which attracts over 3 million visitors a year and combines a historic heritage with a commitment to contemporary culture.

James sits on the Advisory Board of the New College of the Humanities, the independent undergraduate and master’s degree college in London.

In the New Years Honours list 2020, James Lambert received an OBE in recognition of his services to social mobility in education.