James Roper FRSA
CEO, IMRG and Chairman, IMR World

James Roper is Chief Executive and Founder of IMRG (Interactive Media in Retail Group), the industry association for e-retailing, based in London, England, and Chairman of IMR World, a primary source of global e-business intelligence.

IMRG (www.IMRG.org) is a membership organisation that takes responsibility for guiding, protecting and facilitating the advancement of electronic retailing via the internet, mobile, interactive TV, kiosks and other networked screens in the home, office and pocket. Founded in 1990 to represent the needs of pioneer interactive merchants, today IMRG serves some 4,000 individuals in the UK and across the world.




IMR World's mission (www.IMRWorld.org) is to inform, assist and enable the successful adoption of interactive media by business and government in Europe and worldwide, by providing access to intelligence and know-how.

James has worked exclusively on interactive retail projects since the mid 1980s, and has been personally involved in the commercial development of hundreds of solutions using all forms of screen-based delivery channels.

James previously held Business Development Director positions with London-based application developers Convergent Communications and New Media Productions, where he managed work for retailers, financial institutions and manufacturers. In 1990, James managed the original IMR (Interactive Media in Retail) survey that led to the formation of IMRG later that year. Since that time, James has worked full time for the IMRG, developing and expanding its activities.

Acknowledged as having a unique and holistic insight into the evolution of the electronic commerce industry, James is a regular speaker on the subject at conferences worldwide. James is regularly called on to serve as an industry expert, and has served the European Commission in that capacity on a number of ESPRIT and other R&D programmes.