James Parkin C.B.E
Non-Executive Director
Bio
James is a senior strategic leader who has operated at the highest levels of the Armed Forces, HM Government, and international organisations.
After getting a 1st Class honours degree from the University of Oxford, James joined the Royal Navy as a warfare officer. He has the rare distinction of having been afloat in every ocean on the planet.
Having commanded several warships, including the Fleet Flagship HMS Bulwark (at the time, the largest ship in the Fleet), his operational career culminated in command of the UK Amphibious Task Group. In that latter capacity he deployed worldwide, including to the Middle East in 2020, where he took charge of the multinational Task Force “Sentinel” which was tasked to protect merchant shipping against Iranian attack.
He was privileged to be awarded the CBE in HM the Queen’s Birthday Honours List in 2020.
In his second career, James has focused on encouraging and incubating cutting-edge technology in the UK, Europe, and allied Small and Medium-sized Enterprises. He is well respected for his skills and track record in strategic planning, operational resilience, and crisis response, and serves as a senior director or member of several public-, private-, and third-sector boards.
