James has enjoyed a 29 year career with global visitor attraction operator Merlin Entertainments Group.
After graduating from Huddersfield University with a BA Honours degree, James took up his first role in industry working for Trafalgar House in their Cunard Hotel and Cruise Ships division, comprising both the Ritz Hotel and QE2. He joined Vardon plc in 1993 as Head of Procurement including working with their attractions division, then consisting of just a few SEA LIFE and Dungeon attractions in UK/Germany, and which in 1999 was to become Merlin Entertainments following an MBO.
As part of the Vardon Attractions team James became General Manager of SEA LIFE Weston-Super-Mare in 1995, moving later that same year to Weymouth, where he managed not only the attraction but also the wider South coast region.
From there James progressed to role of Head of Commercial Services and Business support before returning to his first love SEA LIFE, as Divisional Director in 2005.A promotion saw him take up the broader responsibility of Divisional Director for all of Merlin’s ‘Midway’ Attractions in mainland Europe – SEA LIFE, Dungeons, Madame Tussauds and LEGOLAND Discovery Centres. In 2011 James became the Divisional Director responsible for opening Merlin’s new Midway attractions around the globe, a role he undertook until late 2015.
James heads up Merlin’s Conservation, Welfare and Engagement division and leads on all the work and activity that underlines SEA LIFE’s strong ethical stance, and the campaigning and conservation activities which are at the heart of everything it does.
He is also a Board member of the SEA LIFE Trust, Merlin’s partner marine conservation charity and in this role champions the work that the Trust does across the world and its most recent project, the SEA LIFE Trust Beluga Whale Sanctuary – creating the world’s first beluga whale sanctuary in partnership with Merlin.
Outside of a demanding career, James enjoys life in Dorset with his wife and three grown up children. The self -styled comic genius loves nothing more than a game of golf, a plate of fine cheese and wondering when his beloved Sheffield Wednesday will return to the Premier League.