David James


Senior Consultant and member of management group of Coverdale UK
Has been with Coverdale since 1988

Career in brief
David started working life in the coal industry before studying chemistry. He spent some time in academia and research, co-authoring several papers on the chemistry of Rhodium before entering the brewing industry, where he held several management and leadership positions at different locations in the UK. In his last role he was engaged in major organisation and culture change. He has experience as a director in a property company and as a trustee director of a pension fund. Prior to joining Coverdale he owned a small farming enterprise in the UK. David has working experience in UK, Ireland, Poland, Hungary, The Netherlands, France, Portugal, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Jamaica, China, Singapore and USA. David works for part of the year at a highly-regarded business school in the USA.

In his work as a consultant and trainer he focuses on:
  • Consulting, facilitating and managing organisational development projects (from vision to implementation), helping organisations to achieve their aims through their people
  • Designing and directing multi-cultural international leadership development programmes
  • Executive coaching
  • Development and training of “in-house” coaches
  • Directing and delivering training sessions in leadership, facilitation, team development, and project management, often in an international context
Some recent assignments:
  • Lead consultant on an organisation-wide culture change project (from vision to implementation) for a global firm in the energy industry
  • Program Director of the prestigious International Leadership Program at Carnegie Mellon University
  • Core team member for development of in-house capability for what was the largest joint venture in China, helping to shape the organisation’s vision, strategy and development of working culture and values
  • Lead coach for leadership development with an international motor vehicle company, working with other Coverdale companies
  • Lead consultant on several organisational development projects with organisations in different sectors (commercial, local government and not-for-profit)
  • Lead consultant on development of the Coverdale position on leadership and Coverdale consultant development
Previous career experience:
  • Shift manager at a coal processing plant in Wales
  • Experimental Officer and part-time lecturer in chemistry and statistics at colleges within the University of Wales
  • Department manager and executive team member at various breweries within Whitbread PLC
  • Farm owner, specialising in rare breeds of sheep and goats
  • Consultant to the brewing industry
Education and training:
  • HND in Chemistry and Applied Physics, plus LRIC in Materials Science
  • Further Education Teaching Certificate
  • Institute of Brewing courses
  • Animal husbandry courses
Working languages:
  • English
David says:
"I believe that every individual has potential for achievement. My ability is to help them unlock that potential to deliver extraordinary results. This is the most rewarding aspect of my job. I enjoy learning more and more about different cultures and my travels help me to do this first hand. Out of work I enjoy being together at home, motorcycling, walking and cycling in the countryside, music, art and architecture of the twentieth century and amiable companionship." 		David James
David James
Coverdale UK