Bio: James is a CMC with a can-do approach to business and a passion for creating memorable, meaningful, and measurable customer experiences. He is passionate about strategy and has a keen understanding of working with for profit, non-profit, and co-operative organizations in a variety of industries, including agriculture, retail, tourism, hospitality, manufacturing, and professional services. He has extensive experience in working with First Nations communities on economic development and empowerment initiatives in a variety of geographical regions and business models, including co-operatives. His boutique consulting firm, Catalyst Strategies Consulting works with clients to analyze their operations, diagnose challenges, uncover blind spots, and mitigate risks to ensure that they can plan effectively, and create processes to reach peak performance, and sustainable profitability. James is also a Certified Customer Experience Professional (CCXP), a Certified Sales Professional (CSP), Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA), and a Professional Farm Advisor (CAFA), and brings a creative and customer-first approach to working with clients. He also holds an ISO 20700:2017 certification for management consultancy services. James holds an MBA, a Graduate Certificate in Organizational Design and Development, and a Bachelor of Commerce from Royal Roads University, a Graduate Certificate in Circular Economy and Sustainable Strategies from Cambridge University, and a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Winnipeg. He has also completed the Co-operatives Certificate Program offered by Co-operatives First and The University of Saskatchewan’s Centre for the Study of Co-operatives, the 4 Seasons of Reconciliation Program at First Nations University of Canada, the Indigenous Canada certificate course from the University of Alberta, the Government of Canada’ Gender-Based Analysis Plus (GBA+) certificate, and a Diversity and Inclusion Influencer Certificate from Canadian Centre of Diversity and Inclusion.