At the Privacy Practice James provides consultancy services in Data Protection and Privacy. A leading thinker in the policy debates in this vital arena, he is regularly invited to address conferences in the UK and internationally. He specialises in making compliance part of business operations, not a legal tick box exercise. He writes the Privacy Practice Blog shining light onto current issues in Privacy.
He is also an associate of Kemp Little Consulting (KLC) a new type of consulting firm operating at the intersection of technology, law and consulting. For KLC his role is to help develop and provide privacy and data related services.
For over 10 years James lead the BBC’s Information Policy and Compliance Department, in the BBC's Legal section. There he oversaw the operation of the Corporation’s systems for compliance with the Data Protection and Freedom of Information Acts. Before he left the BBC he led the development of privacy and data governance for myBBC as it developed its big data capability. Additionally he provided expert advice on media and privacy and lobbying on the proposed EU GDPR.
James worked in broadcasting, mainly for the BBC, for over 30 years. He has worked on a wide variety of management roles including overseeing projects to ensure the BBC’s impartiality during elections and the introduction of staff multi-skilling in areas of BBC News. Before joining the Legal Division he was a programme maker and spent much of his time in political journalism. He edited many of the BBC’s Political and Parliamentary programmes.
He has an MBA specialising in strategy.