James has spent 17 years figuring out how to take products to market—and how to build the operational machinery that keeps them there. His background spans Fortune 500 launches and scrappy startup builds, which means he’s seen what works at scale and what works when you’re still finding your footing. That range is rare, and it’s exactly what studio-style ventures need.
The numbers tell part of the story: James has created over $100 million in net new revenue across his career, launching new business units for multiple Fortune 500 companies. But the more relevant skill for Openfin’s portfolio companies is his ability to translate that enterprise playbook into something founders can actually use—without the bloated timelines and committee-driven nonsense that big companies tolerate.
At Openfin, James owns operations, go-to-market strategy, branding, and channel development. He’s the person who helps portfolio companies answer the hard questions: Who’s the real buyer? What’s the actual channel? How do we build a repeatable motion before we run out of runway?
He’s deeply certified in both service management and marketing—credentials that matter when you’re building operational systems meant to last. But his real value is pattern recognition: he’s launched enough new things to know what’s signal and what’s noise in early traction.