He has extensive experience across the commodity spectrum having been a partner in the MPC Commodity Fund, Head of Exchange Traded Commodity Sales at UBS, Managing Director of ED&F Man New Zealand Ltd, CEO of Mackay Refined Sugars NZ Ltd, and a member of the board of ED&F Man Sugar Ltd. He has also held senior management positions at SIS '88 Pte Ltd (Sugar Industry of Singapore) and Taikoo Sugar Ltd in Hong Kong.

James also ran his own management consultancy firm for five years, advising multinational corporations, exchanges and governments on regional and global commodity issues.

He has an Honours degree from London University's School of Oriental and African Studies in Chinese and Economics.

See also: 10:45 am ‘Futures aiding and abetting commodity price instability?’