# James Barham

> James Barham is the founder of the PCI Pal business and group CEO of PCI-PAL plc, appointed in October 2018. He developed the business inside its former parent group, led its sales, marketing and operations, and temporarily relocated to Charlotte to build its North American operation. His work centres on secure payments within customer communications, distributed through cloud platforms and technology partners.

- **Role:** Group Chief Executive Officer at PCI-PAL plc
- **Organizations:** PCI Pal, PCI-PAL plc, IPPlus, IP3 Telecom, Hiscox, Call Connection
- **Education:** BSc in Business Management and Communications, Bath Spa University
- **Known for:** Founded the PCI Pal business as an incubated venture within its former parent group., Established and led early sales, marketing and operations, then built the North American operation., Led PCI Pal as group CEO from October 2018 through international expansion and funding rounds.

## Career timeline

- **2005** — Completed a BSc in Business Management and Communications at Bath Spa University.
- **Before 2008** — Worked at Hiscox and Call Connection before joining IPPlus.
- **2008** — Joined IPPlus, the former parent group within which the PCI Pal business developed.
- **2012** — Led the UK PCI Pal operation from its launch, according to the 2018 annual report.
- **2016-09** — Joined the listed company board as Commercial Director on 30 September; the group adopted the PCI-PAL name in October.
- **2018-04** — Relocated with his family to Charlotte, North Carolina, as COO, North America.
- **2018-10** — Appointed group CEO.
- **2019-04** — Relocated back to the United Kingdom.
- **2025-07** — Presented a refreshed three-year strategy and purchased 110,941 company shares at 45 pence each.
- **2026-09** — PCI Pal confirmed BT as its integrated reseller partner.
- **2026-10** — Explained the company’s new brand positioning around secure human and AI-powered customer interactions.

## Achievements

- Founded the PCI Pal business as an incubated venture within its former parent group.
- Established and led early sales, marketing and operations, then built the North American operation.
- Led PCI Pal as group CEO from October 2018 through international expansion and funding rounds.
- During his tenure PCI Pal ranked 56th in the 2022 Growth Index of UK businesses.
- PCI Pal reported FY2025 revenue of £22.48 million and annual recurring revenue of £19.26 million.
- PCI Pal reported that 83% of new contracts in H1 FY2026 were secured through partners.

## Latest updates

- **2026-10** — On 6 October, PCI Pal launched a new brand identity. Barham described a vision for secure customer interactions across human and AI-powered conversational channels.
- **2026-09** — On 22 September, PCI Pal confirmed BT as the reseller partner under an agreement signed in March 2026; the company reported initial customers acquired.
- **2026-03** — On 3 March, PCI Pal reported H1 FY2026 ARR of £20.33 million, up 21%; revenue of £11.31 million, up 7%; and adjusted EBITDA of £0.20 million, down 79%, reflecting increased investment.

## Links

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesbarham1/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/james-barham
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-21