James is a seasoned hospitality and vocational education professional. Having earned his culinary stripes under tutelage of Damien Pignolet and George Sinclair in the kitchens of Bistro Moncur and Bistro Deux, he quickly rose through the ranks finding himself a place as Sous Chef for Maggie Beer in her Adelaide eatery Charlicks restaurant at just 21 years of age. Here he not only honed his culinary skills, but commenced what would be the foundations of over two decades of leadership both within the hospitality industry and the vocational education sector.

From early on in his career, James developed a passion for imparting skills and knowledge to the next generation which prompted his transition from the kitchen to the classroom in 2007. He assimilated this passion into his own training consultancy business that focused on training chefs of the future where he was privileged to develop and guide apprentices for the likes of Justin North, James Metcalfe, Monty Koludrovic and Matthew Kemp over several years.

Since joining the Allara Learning family In 2014, James has been at the helm alongside CEO Andrew Lewis, holding the responsibility for engagement with our industry partners, clients and broader community to design and develop our training products and services. His zest for hospitable service sets the foundation for his approach to consultation where the organisation and its employees' needs are placed as centre focus.

Programs James has designed and implemented for frontline staff, supervisors, emerging leaders and top tier management have proven to deliver real and tangible results.