James is Acting Executive Director, Advisory at the Australia and New Zealand School of Government, supporting leadership development in the public service through outstanding teaching and research.

Prior to this, James worked for a decade with the University of Melbourne, initially as an adviser to the Vice-Chancellor, and later overseeing the University’s strategy for engaging with business, government and communities.

For several years he served as a consulting economist advising governments and companies on the design, evaluation and reform of public policy, building expertise in education markets, regulatory performance assessment and economic impact evaluation.

James holds degrees in Economics and Commerce from the University of Adelaide, a Master of Business Administration from Melbourne Business School, and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.