Tim Waterstone

Chancellor of Edinburgh Napier University and founder of Waterstone’s Booksellers

Speaker

Tim Waterstone is the founder of Waterstone's (in 1982), now the third largest bookseller in the world.  The company went from a one-shop start-up to a chain of about 100 sites before he sold it to WHSmith in 1993.

In 1998, he bought Waterstone’s back in a joint venture with EMI. Waterstone’s and Dillons merged with HMV and he was chair of HMV Media from 1998-2001.

Tim read English at St Catharine’s College Cambridge, and has diverse interests and expertise in the arts and education. He was a member of the Booker Prize Management Committee (1986-1993) director of the Academy of Ancient Music (1990-1995) director of the London Philharmonic Orchestra (1990-1997) and director of the National Gallery Co (1996-2003). He was co-founder of Bookaid in 1992. He is currently Chancellor of Edinburgh Napier University. 

Tim is an occasional guest lecturer at INSEAD and London Business School, and a regular speaker in Britain and Europe on entrepreneurial and motivational techniques. He has published three novels, and a semi-autobiographical business book. His books have been translated into several languages and a fourth novel, 'Consequences', will be published in September 2010.