James Swaffield

Enigma
DISC Type : dic

Chief Executive Officer at Paragon Skills

Greater Oxford Area, United Kingdom

Overview

James Swaffield is the Chief Executive Officer of Paragon Skills, specializing in scaling businesses through strategic transformation. His expertise lies in combining commercial insight with operational discipline to deliver sustainable growth. He holds an MBA from Warwick Business School and is described by colleagues as a supportive and trusted leader.

James demonstrates a strong commitment to social causes, particularly in addressing homelessness. He actively supports and participates in events for charities like Streets of London, using his platform to raise awareness for the challenges faced by vulnerable populations in London.

He has a proven track record of leading multiple businesses, including Cambridge Spark and TTC Group, through critical periods of transformation and growth.

Personality Overview

Persuasive & Assertive

Friendly Yet Blunt

Fast Follower

They can sound friendly and charming but can quickly change gears to become inquisitive and probing  They are likely to ask many questions and look heavily for supporting proof as well as information. They are generally strong communicators and are not easy to convince.

Topics They Care About

Business Transformation
His career is defined by leading organizations through transformative growth, navigating digital evolution, and unlocking new market opportunities.
Apprenticeship Advocacy
As CEO of Paragon Skills, he is a vocal supporter of apprenticeship programs, celebrating the achievements of learners and employers to shape the future workforce.
People-First Leadership
He focuses on empowering teams and fostering a culture of innovation and professional development to drive business results and individual growth.

Media Appearances

James has no verified media appearances

Work History

8-2025
Chief Executive Officer at Paragon Skills
3-2025 - 8-2025
Director at JJS Strategic Consulting
11-2023 - 2-2025
Chief Executive Officer at Cambridge Spark
11-2022 - 10-2023
Managing Director at TTC Group
12-2021 - 10-2022
Managing Director at Capita Learning

Education

2009 - 2012
Master of Business Administration (MBA) from University of Warwick - Warwick Business School
2014 - 2015
General Management Programme from Cranfield School of Management

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : N/A Location : Greater Oxford Area, United Kingdom Job Level : N/A Designation : Chief Executive Officer at Paragon Skills
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Insights For Selling To James

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Let them lead the discussion, create opportunities for them to speak if they are not very forthcoming
  • Use a combination of data as well as stories for your pitch, a ppt might not be necessary
  • Leverage 'negging', or the art of asking negative questions like "you must not be convinced yet..."

DONT's

  • Avoid making offhand commitments, understand the root of their concerns first
  • Avoid long presentations and just 'high-level' value proposition, dive into the details
  • Don’t rely excessively on your relationship with them to win the deal even if you come to form one

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with James is

  • Proven value, strong objective evidence are important for them, rapport can impact decisions a little.
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from James

  • They are practical and friendly, but can give a clear response with a little prodding

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will James move?

  • They like to be detailed, so unless they develop strong conviction, they can take their time to arrive at decisions
  • Can James take some risk or not?

  • They evaluate their decisions systematically and do not take risks that often, unless you can get them to develop strong conviction

You And James

Personality Compatibility


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