About James

"I started life as a geographer, working as a postgraduate on sustainable development in the countryside, before spending 10 years in national government working on a wide range of issues including social inclusion, followed by a move into local government. I was Chief Executive of St Albans Council for nearly five years before joining YHA in July 2017.

I’ve also been a Governor of the University of Herts, and I am currently non-Executive Chair of ACRE – Action with Communities in Rural England. I am also trustee of a local music charity.

Much of my career has been spent balancing the need to generate revenue in a competitive environment with delivering real public benefit and impact. This has been a particular challenge through the years of austerity, Covid and the cost-of-living crisis!

I’ve had a long affinity with YHA, from teenage travels in the Lake District, through to using YHA for groups when I was president of my university hillwalking club, and more recently travelling around the country with my family. While my children have now grown up, we all continue to love going hostelling in England, Wales, and all around the world.

It's been a challenging few years but it’s a huge privilege to be heading up the fantastic organisation that is YHA today, supporting hundreds of thousands of young people connect to nature, heritage and the outdoors through our amazing network of hostels across England and Wales"

Meet the other YHA Executives