James is a Partner with InterChina and a specialist in the consumer & retail space. He is the leader of InterChina's C&R group, advising international C&R companies on market development and market penetration in China, including acquisition strategies, deal origination and transaction execution.

During the 20 years that James has been living and working in China, he has supervised or led over 250 engagements. His experience in the C&R space has spanned food & beverage, personal care, fashion, appliances, leisure goods, food service, grocery retail and consumer services among many others. He has been involved in transactions such as J.M. Smucker's acquisition of Guilin Seamild, Bimbo's acquisition of Beijing Million Land, and McCormick's acquisition of Wuhan Asia-Pacific Condiments.

Prior to joining InterChina in 2004, he worked as a consultant with a German management consultancy, first in Hong Kong and later Shanghai, responsible for running their strategy team in East China. He has also headed the deal origination team of a global M&A partnership in East China, and ran the F&B sector team of a global corporate finance house focused on cross-border transactions. Before moving to China, James worked for a British engineering firm in the United Kingdom.

James has a Masters in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Durham (UK) and a Masters in Chinese Studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies (University of London, UK). He has co-authored a book on China market entry, and is a frequent contributor to Chinese, American and European publications on business issues in China. He is British, now dividing his time between Shanghai and London, and is a Mandarin speaker.