James is a global partnerships and marketing executive with over 25 years of broad leadership experience at blue-chip companies working across multiple disciplines and markets. Having worked at the intersection of global marketing teams and their agency partners, he is highly skilled in designing and deploying high-impact initiatives that build client-agency partnerships and streamline marketing operations to support the growth of global brands.
James founded KJK to help brands and agencies get the most out of their partnerships after seeing firsthand the challenges and opportunities associated with both well and poorly managed relationships, and the impact they can have on the quality of work, productivity, team morale and return on investment.
Prior to this, James led the partnership strategy and oversight of all global creative, media, and experiential marketing agencies at American Express for 10 years, with enterprise-wide accountability to optimize investments and support the company’s accolade as “best global brand” in financial services. In this role, James transformed the agency management function making it a more strategic, global and consultative advisor to the company’s 3,500 marketers worldwide.
James is a highly respected industry figure, frequently cited in research papers and invited to speak on panels at industry events. He holds an MBA from Cornell University, where he serves as an Executive in Residence, leading corporate partnerships for entrepreneurial ventures in the Technology and Life Science sectors. Outside of work James has a passion for travel, good food and fine wine. His roots are important to him and James often returns to the UK with his family so that his children remain connected to their British side.
