# James Clarke

> James Clarke is the founder and former CEO of Clearlink and the founder and managing partner of Clarke Capital Partners. Raised in southeast Idaho and based in Provo, Utah, he moved from satellite sales into online commerce, sold Clearlink in 2011, and returned to its management in January 2022 before leaving in 2025. His other public work includes university governance, philanthropy with his wife Andrea, and service as the United Kingdom’s honorary consul in Utah.

- **Role:** Founder and Managing Partner at Clarke Capital Partners
- **Organizations:** Clearlink, Clarke Capital Partners, The Labor and Honor Foundation, Utah Valley University, Stella H. Oaks Foundation, Utah Consular Corps, PetIQ, Contour, Brandless
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** Associate of Arts in Business, Brigham Young University-Idaho (then Ricks College), Brigham Young University, Owner/President Management program (executive education), Harvard Business School, Master of Science in Major Programme Management, University of Oxford
- **Known for:** Founded Clearlink and sold it to Pamlico Capital in 2011., Led Clarke Capital Partners as founder and managing partner., Served as an early PetIQ investor and board chairman before its 2017 IPO.

## Career timeline

- **2001** — Founded Clearlink on November 1.
- **2003** — By May 29, Clearlink was profitable enough to replace Andrea’s salary, according to his founder account.
- **2011** — Sold Clearlink to Pamlico Capital and established Clarke Capital Partners, as described in his SEC biography.
- **2014** — Appointed to Utah Valley University’s Board of Trustees.
- **2016** — Concluded his chairmanship of PetIQ; remained a director until the end of 2020.
- **2018** — James and Andrea donated $5 million to UVU; the Classroom Building was renamed in their honor.
- **2021** — Named UVU trustee chair in June.
- **2022** — Returned as Clearlink CEO and chairman in January through Clarke Capital’s partnership with Sitel Group.
- **2023** — His April return-to-office town hall drew public criticism; his UVU board term ended that year.
- **2024** — Recognized with a South Valley Chamber Titan Award.
- **2025** — Announced his departure as Clearlink CEO; a December Chamber tribute described his retirement from Clearlink.
- **2026** — Featured on Startups with Stu in March; Case Studies republished a highlight episode in May.

## Achievements

- Founded Clearlink and sold it to Pamlico Capital in 2011.
- Led Clarke Capital Partners as founder and managing partner.
- Served as an early PetIQ investor and board chairman before its 2017 IPO.
- Served as UVU trustee from 2014 to 2023 and chair from 2021 to 2023.
- Joint recipient with Andrea Clarke of UVU’s 2023 Honorary Alumni Award.
- Serves as the United Kingdom’s honorary consul in Utah.
- Recipient of a 2024 South Valley Chamber Titan Award.

## Latest updates

- **2026-05** — Case Studies released a James Clarke highlight episode on May 10, revisiting entrepreneurship, relationships and public scrutiny.
- **2026-03** — Startups with Stu published an interview on March 16 about his investing approach, Clearlink’s changing economics and lessons from mentors.
- **2025-12** — A Utah Valley Chamber feature on KSL marked his retirement from Clearlink; his investment firm continues to list him as founder and managing partner.

## Links

- Website: https://www.clarke.co/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesclarke2

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/james-clarke
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-23