James is Chief Executive of the Employee Ownership Association, where he leads efforts to position employee ownership as a credible, high-performing and scalable business model. His role spans research, advocacy and ecosystem-building, alongside supporting a diverse membership of employee-owned businesses and advisers. Throughout his career, James has designed and delivered initiatives focused on plural economies and purposeful enterprise. He launched the UK’s most ambitious research programme on employee ownership to date, helped secure funding to establish the Ownership Hub, founded UnFound (the world’s first accelerator for platform co-operatives), and commissioned Level, the UK’s first digital incorporation platform designed specifically for co-operatives. Before joining the EOA, James led the Development Unit at Co-operatives UK, where he built a national programme portfolio spanning enterprise support, capital development and place-based economic growth. Earlier in his career, he established new country offices and led complex, multi-partner programmes in challenging international contexts. At the heart of his work is a belief in ownership and agency: when people have a meaningful stake and a genuine voice, organisations become more resilient, more productive and more human.