Coached and/or Advised:

• CEOs & Presidents
• Executive VPs & VPs
• Managers

• Boards of Directors
• Executive Teams
• Functional / Departmental Teams

• Non-Profits
• Government & Local Authorities

In Brief:

James began his career in 1979 as an economist reporting to a board of directors comprising CEOs and civil servants. He has worked as an independent coach and advisor to senior executives ever since.

In Theory:

• MBA (Stellenbosch University Business School, South Africa)
• Hons B (B&A) (Stellenbosch University Business School, South Africa)
• B.S. (Agricultural Economics) (University of Pretoria, South Africa)

Highlights:

• CEO/President (private company, USA)
• Interim CEO (listed company, South Africa)
• Executive Board Member (listed industrial holding company, South Africa)

• In 1990 he co-founded a niche strategy and executive effectiveness consulting firm in Cape Town, South Africa.

• James has worked on two continents in multiple sectors: advertising and branding; dairy; housing construction; information technology (systems development); manufacturing (paper packaging); medical (blood transfusion; hospital privatization); municipal and county services; merchant shipping; non-profit; oil; professional services (accounting, tax and financial services); retail (clothing; furniture; sports goods); and wealth management.

• He has been directly involved in diversification strategies, the integration of acquisitions, start-ups, the sale of business units and corporate turnarounds from bankruptcy.

• In June 2019 James retired from the role of CEO of a 30+ year old wealth management firm. He was initially appointed to coach the founder into retirement. This role morphed into the role of CEO, for 5 years, while coaching the next generation of leaders.

• For a number of years, James presented his “Nonsense at Work” commentary on regional public radio stations:  Twice-weekly from 2006 to 2016 in the mid-Virginia area, followed by seven days a week in the Chicago area for two years.