Industry experience
James has spent 25 years across waste management, agriculture, energy, forestry, real estate, logistics and environmental sustainability — consistently at the intersection of ecological practice and insurance.
Education
An alumnus of Cranfield University's Silsoe College in Agricultural Environmental Engineering. Certified Arborist and habitat manager, with hands-on experience in large-scale Building, Development and Nature (BDNG) projects.
Career
- 1996
- Underwriter at Certa MGA (Allianz AG), building a foundation in assessing environmental liabilities.
- 2003–2014
- Founder of ATS Arboriculture, leading biodiversity and ecosystem restoration projects — including acid grassland restoration and river-catchment programmes across the UK and EU.
- 2014–present
- International Practice Leader at WTW and latterly Lockton Companies LLP — designing environmental insurance solutions across UK, LATAM, APAC and EMEA. Lloyd's member.
- 2021
- Named a 5-Star Top Global Environmental Risk and Broking Expert by Insurance Business Magazine.
Areas of expertise
- Environmental risk management and insurance placement
- Applied GIS and Earth Observation — go-to-market for start-ups and maturing companies
- Outsourced expertise and mentoring for clients in the insurance market
- Real estate, private equity, corporate finance, brownfield redevelopment and agriculture
- Sustainability leadership — biodiversity initiatives and large-scale habitat restoration