James is a chartered accountant and was formerly finance director of a series of companies in the service sector. In parallel, he has served as a local councillor and magistrate, on various bodies in the Oxford Diocese and as a trustee of a number of charities in the health, military, housing and education sectors. His volunteer service in the reserve army led him to join St John Ambulance and then on to a number of roles in the Venerable Order, who nominated him as a trustee of OSJCT in November 2019.