James Strachan

James Strachan

James is currently a non-executive Director of the Financial Services Authority, Welsh Water Limited, Towergate Insurance Group, Sarasin and Partners LLP, JP Morgan Asian Investment Trust plc, and a Visiting Fellow at the LSE (risk and regulation).

After reading economics and English at Cambridge, he worked in the City both as a commercial and investment banker. Initially with Chase Manhattan, he then spent 13 years at Merrill Lynch, latterly as Managing Director in London and a Board member of Merrill Lynch International.

Since 1994 he has also worked in the voluntary and public sectors. He has been Chairman of the Audit Commission, the public services watchdog, and a Board member of the Bank of England, Legal and General Group plc, Care UK plc, Ofgem, the energy regulator; the National Lottery's Community Fund; the Disability Rights Commission, Save the Children and Somerset House Trust. He has been a Leadership Patron of the National College of School Leadership. Now a Vice President, he has also been Chairman, Trustee and Chief Executive of RNID, the leading disability charity. He has been a Leadership Patron of the National College of School Leadership. Having been a professional photographer and journalist, he is now an Honorary Fellow of the University of the Arts, London.