James’ routes are in Engineering and new product development, and he holds an MEng in Electronic Engineering from the University of Southampton. James initially joined Deben in 2023 as Technical Director, helping to shift the culture to one of curiosity and innovation excellence.
James’ earlier career was spent working at product development consultancies and this shaped James’ approach to customer-centric design and innovation. James led multidisciplinary teams of engineers, scientists, designers, and usability experts to develop products and technologies for startups and multinationals alike. This fast-paced, customer-focused approach to product development is what James has been introducing at Deben.
Before joining Deben UK, James spent 4 years in Ontario, Canada, where he established a North American branch office for a niche data and technology company called Gmax Technology Ltd, headquartered in Cambridge, UK. James helped Gmax on their path to becoming the most widely deployed thoroughbred race tracking system in the world, completely displacing the Americas competitor from the market. He attributes the success of the business to the innovative and disruptive technology, understanding and appreciating true value to customers, and exceptional customer service.
James was appointed as MD at Deben in July 2025.