The Sportsman
Competitive yet gracious, James’ lifetime of playing sport has taught him that success comes when you put in the work, unite as a team, and focus on the end goal. He lives by this philosophy, professionally and personally, which is undoubtedly why he’s so well-liked and respected by everyone he works with. Of course, we’d add that his enthusiastic, sociable nature probably has something to do with it too. Even today, whenever he gets the chance, you’ll find him on the golf course, cricket pitch, or watching live sport. PS... If you ask him, he may share his secret talent: an impression of a famous Scottish tennis player…
The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new. Socrates
James is a partner with more than a decade of global consulting and leadership advisory experience, specializing in the private equity market. Splitting his time between Acertitude’s London and New York offices, James leads assignments for Global Functional leaders to ensure private equity portfolio businesses have access to the best global leadership.
Over the course of his career, James has worked with funds of all sizes and across every stage of the investment cycle, including both pre-deal advisory work and post-deal recruitment of executive teams to lead any eventual capital event. While he is focused on the U.K. and wider European markets, James also has a successful track record of advising clients across North America, Asia, and Africa. James was promoted to partner after first joining as principal in 2020.
Most recently, James spent four years as a consultant at Russell Reynolds in London, where he worked in the Corporate Officers, Financial Officers, and Private Equity practices. Prior to this, he worked for a London-based global boutique search firm, where he also helped build out the Private Equity practice. James earned a bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences from the University of Durham.
James lives in London with his wife Georgina, daughter Willa, and dog Basil, though they spend many of their weekends on the south coast of England. He enjoys traveling and is fortunate to have had the opportunity to create many happy memories exploring the world and looks forward to seeking out new places to tour.
