James Burstall is the CEO of Argonon, the UK’s second-largest independent global production group
headquartered in London, Los Angeles, New York, Glasgow and Liverpool. Founded in 2011, the
group consists of eight production companies producing hundreds of hours of content across all
genres for broadcasters, streamers and brands every year, including The Masked Singer UK (ITV1),
Hard Cell (Netflix), Worzel Gummidge (BBC One), Dispatches (Channel 4), Attenborough and the
Mammoth Graveyard (BBC One) and House Hunters International (HGTV) as well as content for
brands including McDonalds, Amazon, Hugo Boss and American Express. The group has won 125
international awards including Emmys, BAFTAs and Royal Television Society Awards. Prior to
forming Argonon, Burstall was CEO of Leopard Films producing long-running series, formats and
award-winning dramas.

Before Leopard Films, Burstall worked as an executive producer and producer-director for
broadcasters all over the world. He started his career as a journalist, working as a writer and editor
in Paris, London and New York for Vanity Fair, Condé Nast Traveller, HG, Vogue, The Daily Mail and
The Evening Standard.

Burstall was educated at the University of Bristol and has studied at the business schools of Oxford
and Stanford in California. He is a speaker at the National Film and Television School and Said
Business School, University of Oxford on entrepreneurship and ethical leadership. He was recently
selected as one of the Top 50 Leading Lights, Kindness and Leadership, 2021.

Speaking on: Trendwatch: What’s Next in M&A