Originally from a small town in rural England, James moved to the United States to attend Harvard — the first person to attend an Ivy League university from his local publicly-funded school. After graduating with high honors, he joined young multi-platform media company OZY Media, where he rose from a reporting intern to lead the marketing department, leading content launches across TV, podcasts, news and events.

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, James moved to Seattle, Washington. In 2021, he relocated to Chicago, Illinois, with his then-fiancée (now wife) and two cats, and joined the marketing team at BritBox International. He joined The Economist in October 2023. Outside of the (home) office, James’ curiosity about the world inspires his passion for travel (he’s visited 40 countries on 5 continents, and 32 U.S. states), along with his fascination with global development, alternative energy, sustainability, migration and international politics.

James is also a former international junior squash player and has completed a number of long-distance road biking challenges for charity.