Jeffrey Daniel Dominic James CBE (né Walker; born 11 March 1968) is a British public servant and executive, and former Royal Navy sailor. Since 2014, he has been Chief executive and Keeper of The National Archives.[1][2]
Jeff James | |
|---|---|
| Chief executive and Keeper The National Archives | |
| Assumed office 29 July 2014 | |
| Preceded by | Oliver Morley |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Jeffrey Daniel Dominic Walker 11 March 1968 Solihull, West Midlands |
| Citizenship | United Kingdom |
| Nationality | British |
| Spouse |
Joanne Knight (m. 2010) |
| Children | Three |
| Education | Park View Comprehensive School |
| Alma mater | Open University University of Hertfordshire |
| Occupation | Public servant |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Branch/service |  Royal Navy |
| Years of service | 1984–1998 |
| Rank | Chief Petty Officer |
| Battles/wars | Cold War |
In the 2024 Birthday Honours, Jeff James was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for services to archives and the public record.[3]
Early life and education
editJames was born on 11 March 1968 in Solihull, West Midlands, England.[2] His surname at birth was Walker, but it was changed to James when he was later adopted by Edwin and Edith James.[2] From 1979 to 1984, he was educated at Park View Comprehensive School in Chester-le-Street, County Durham.[4]
James did not attend university straight after leaving school. Later, he studied for a degree with the Open University, a part-time distance learning university, and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in 2001.[2] He studied history as a postgraduate at the University of Hertfordshire, completing his Master of Arts degree in 2010.[2]
Career
editMilitary service
editIn 1984, James joined the Royal Navy as a rating.[2] He trained as an electronic engineer,[5] and specialised as a Weapons Engineering Artificer.[4] He worked on the Resolution-class and Vanguard-class submarines, which operate the Polaris and Trident nuclear programmes respectively.[4] In 1992, he was promoted to chief petty officer.[2] He left the navy in September 1998 after 14 years of service.[4]
Public service
editAfter leaving the Royal Navy, James joined the University of Leeds as an IT technical support officer.[4] He was later appointed Network Group Manager.[2] From 2003 to 2004 he was operations manager of Swift Research Ltd, a Yorkshire-based market research agency.[2][6] In 2004, he joined the British Library and worked in various operations management positions for the next three years.[5] He ended his time at the British Library as Head of Operations.[2]
In 2007, James joined The National Archives as Head of Access and Records Knowledge, before becoming Director of Operations in 2008.[2][5] From June 2013 to July 2014 he was Deputy Chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing,[7] and was "responsible for leading on strategy development, operational excellence, business performance and change management".[1][2] In May 2014, he was announced as the next Chief executive and Keeper of The National Archives.[1] He took up the appointment on 29 July 2014.[1][5]
Personal life
editIn 2010, James married Joanne Knight.[2] Together they have three sons, including a set of twins.[2][8]
References
edit- ^ a b c d "Appointment of Chief Executive and Keeper". The National Archives. 6 May 2014. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "JAMES, Jeffrey Daniel Dominic". Who's Who 2016. Oxford University Press. November 2015. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
- ^ "Awards for Birthday Honours List 2024" (PDF).
- ^ a b c d e "Jeff James". LinkedIn. Retrieved 11 March 2016.[permanent dead link]
- ^ a b c d "Chief Executive and Keeper". The National Archives. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
- ^ "About us". Swift Research. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
- ^ "Three new directors to join the Chartered Institute of Housing". Chartered Institute of Housing. 1 May 2013. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
- ^ "National Archives chief Jeff James: "The shift to digital means nothing will ever be the same again"". Civil Service World. 16 December 2015. Retrieved 11 March 2016.