James is the managing director of Wills Inns, the family-run business behind three of Uppingham’s best-known venues — The Falcon hotel, The Vaults and Don Paddy’s.He’s widely recognised for the energy, pragmatism, commercial acumen, empathy and strong community values he brings to the role, providing leadership inspired by a lifelong passion for hospitality.For more than 20 years James has devoted his career to the Will’s Inns mission: to serve the people of the town well. From the outset he worked side-by-side with the founder Robert Wills to restore and revive the three ailing venues, making the long-term investments necessary to build a thriving and sustainable hospitality company. During the past 10 years James has built a talented team of people who share his vision for serving the town.And today, post-pandemic, Uppingham life owes much to the energy of James and his team in delivering a flourishing social hub, with the three venues offering a superb range of inspired dining and hospitality experiences, a remarkably rich, varied and inclusive events programme and a setting for every occasion. James is a catalyst for bringing people together, supporting local businesses and charities and providing career opportunities as one of Uppingham’s biggest employers. He's on the management committee for Discover Rutland, a council-supported, self-funded group working to raise the profile of the county. He also a director of Uppingham First which promotes local business and community initiatives. James says: "Looking back over 20 years, I'm grateful to have discovered the world of hospitality right at the start of my career. I've been able to do something I love, working with fantastic people, making a difference for our community, providing customers with superb experiences and steadily building a business that all of us here are hugely proud of, while continuing to enhance the reputation of this beautiful market town."