James joined Powerco in October 2021 and has overall responsibility for all Powerco’s customer, financial and operational activities.

James has a First-Class Law Degree and practised in M&A and Commercial Law before joining the energy industry. He is currently Chair of the NZ Electricity CEO Forum, on the Board of the Electricity Networks Association, Energy Resources Aotearoa, and the NZ Hydrogen Council, and Co-Chair of the Champions of Change work programme, which aims to attract a more diverse workforce into the energy sector in NZ.

In his 20 years in the industry, James has held senior executive roles in electricity generation, energy wholesale markets, and energy retailing. Before joining Powerco, James was Deputy Chief Executive at Contact Energy, on the Board of Simply Energy, and Chair of Western Energy Services.