James, an independent consultant who provides mentoring courses and presentations on leadership, big data and government, champions the safe use of data science to deliver civic and environmental value. This includes developing an outcomes focused operating model to reform the state sector. Since 2014, James has been leading the development of a new model for data sharing known as the “Data Commons”. In 2011, he was awarded the public sector’s Leadership Development Centre (LDC) fellowship prize. This was used to study leadership at Harvard the Wharton School and Centre for Creative Leadership. James holds a first class honours degree in Philosophy from Victoria University of Wellington.