James Halliwell

James Halliwell is the current Chief Digital Officer at ABRSM. Prior to this, they held positions as CTO - Commercial Sector at Kainos, Head of Strategy, Architecture & Innovation at Marks and Spencer, and Chief Technologist at Hewlett-Packard. James has also been Head of Technology at Tesco PLC and Middleware Systems Group Leader at John Lewis.

James has over 20 years of experience in technology leadership roles. James is an expert in digital transformation and has guided many clients through their own digital journeys. James is passionate about using technology to drive business growth and improve customer experiences.

Under James’ leadership, M&S Technology won multiple awards for innovation, including the Retail Week Technology Award for Best Use of Mobile in 2015 and the Verint Customer Engagement Transformation Award in 2016.

In their role as CTO - Commercial Sector at Kainos, James has been instrumental in growing the company’s commercial sector business across the UK and Europe. James has developed a strong team of technologists and has overseen the delivery of many successful projects for clients.

James Halliwell completed a BSc in Software Engineering at the University of Durham, St John's College. James then went on to complete an MSc in Computer Science at Durham University.

James Halliwell reports to Chris Cobb, CEO. They work with Penny Milsom - Deputy Chief Executive, Philippa Bunting - Academic Director, Products & Services, and Lincoln Abbotts - Executive Director, Strategic Development.