Roger James

Current

Director of Information Systems at University of Westminster
Principal at computiv
Tutor - MBA (Life Sciences) at Open University

Visiting Professor in Computer Science at University of Southampton

see less...

1 more...

Past

Head of Digital Library Infrastructure at British Library
Director of Business Systems at Napp Pharmaceuticals
Worldwide Leader Technology Advancement at Glaxo [Became GlaxoWellcome then GSK]

Worldwide Leader Technology Adavncement at Glaxo Wellcome
Business Area Manager at CAP (CAP Scientific) [became Sema]
Business Area Manager at CAP Scientific

see less...

3 more...

Education

University College London, U. of London
University of Oxford

Recommended

3 people have recommended Roger

Connections

209 connections

Industry

Information Technology and Services

Roger James’s Summary

My professional experience and goals remain focused on my own learning, simply I work best when driving change and strategy. My 'day job', my academic position and my consulting interests are focused on high technology in the life sciences. However many of my assignments, for example my writing and consultancy, transfer these skills to other industries and sectors [for example to Biotech, to Government, to the publishing industry and to the oil industry].

I am at my best when challenged and am open to any number of interesting assignments that capture my interest & attention. I always value new opportunites and new experience.

Roger James’s Specialties:

Knowledge Management, Business Management, Information Architect, Strategic Thinker, IT Operations, Technology Evangelist, Company Advisor, Consultant, Pharmaceuticals, Biotech, Education, Charity Sector & Not-for-Profit, Web 2.0

Roger James’s Experience

Director of Information Systems

University of Westminster

(Educational Institution; 1001-5000 employees; Higher Education industry)

July 2007 — Present (2 years 6 months)

An interesting place - the former Polytechnic of Central London [PCL ] it has just appointed a new Vice Chancellor so a renaissance is underway. The strengths of the institution - politics, media and the built environment - make an urban specific agenda of applied research a strong choice.
Technically the education sector is at once more advanced than industry but also less developed. Advanced in opportunities (Microsoft & Google are courting the sectors) and applications. Working with a great team to meet the corporate goals of an economic, efficient, effective and consistent operation.
Launched the roll-out of Google Apps for the 2008/9 academic year, which led to a winning bid on student participation & personalisation of their information environment using lightweight enterprise RSS [TWOLER project].
Principal

computiv

(Pharmaceuticals industry)

October 2006 — Present (3 years 3 months)

A new start in which I am looking to turn my interests into my income. With the Martini promise (anytime, anywhere, anything) I am open to interesting assignments which will fit any of my skills:

- Innovative and practical operational manager – managing by influence in-house and outsourced resources.
- Strong believer in IT partnerships with the business, and with suppliers, to deliver the best, most cost-effective IT. I have built excellent working partnerships.
- Extensive experience of R&D led information intensive and regulated industries. Work experience in consultancy, analysis, development and support.
- High energy, rich experience with a strong academic pedigree. Experienced University tutor at MBA level on Knowledge Management and Strategic Life Sciences.
- Successful independent consultant, evangelist & author selling IT innovation.

Year Two is focused on innovation and on mass collaborations with 2 notable funded experiments and a paper due at OnLine Information.
Tutor - MBA (Life Sciences)

Open University

(Educational Institution; Higher Education industry)

October 2006 — Present (3 years 3 months)

After teaching Knowledge Management I have moved on to help launch a new MBA programme - in Strategic Life Sciences. By combining modules from the standard MBA and material from the Science faculty this promises to be a really challenging and interesting content rich course.
Visiting Professor in Computer Science

University of Southampton

(Educational Institution; 1001-5000 employees; Higher Education industry)

March 2000 — Present (9 years 10 months)

An honary position and one which provides a great deal of personal interest and facilities to be part of a research community. It forms the perfect counterpoint to Napp allowing me to explore, in some depth, some of the challenges from industry and expose research thinking to the crucible of industry.
Head of Digital Library Infrastructure

British Library

(Government Agency; 1001-5000 employees; Museums and Institutions industry)

January 2007 — July 2007 (7 months)

An amazing organisation - with an emporium of talents, a stunning richness of material and the professionalism of the conservation work. My role was to lead the team developing their digital library infrastructure [a system of near infinite capacity to hold digital artefacts without corruption for hundreds of years].
I worked to develop an interoperability strategy and the integration of the system with the multitude of data sources. The best amount of fun was to develop my ‘demonstrator’ of what web 2.0 means [at www.roger.james.name/blweb2 ] using Drupal, of course, but integrating some web services and integrating some nice features such as faceted search.
Director of Business Systems

Napp Pharmaceuticals

(Privately Held; 501-1000 employees; Pharmaceuticals industry)

July 1997 — October 2006 (9 years 4 months)

This role gaves me the facility to live and work in Cambridge in a privately owned Pharmaceutical company - as I am fond of quoting "small but perfectly formed". Big enough to be profitable and full of good people and working across R&D, Manufacturing and Sales. Small enough to be friendly and agile. Sad to leave!
Worldwide Leader Technology Advancement

Glaxo [Became GlaxoWellcome then GSK]

(Public Company; 10,001 or more employees; Pharmaceuticals industry)

March 1989 — July 1997 (8 years 5 months)

(Actually Glaxo then GlaxoWellcome which is now GSK)
The world's best job working on the future with some of the brightest people I have ever met. But undermined by the corporate miasma of company merger.
Really a fantiastic opportunity to be funded to learn and experiment in a leading technology company. Tremendous opportunity to take assignments in everything from IT futures, the impact of genetics, developing new markets, the impact of electronic on healthcare to corporate strategy.
Thank you Glaxo I really enjoyed my time with you!
Worldwide Leader Technology Adavncement

Glaxo Wellcome

(Information Technology and Services industry)

1989 — 1997 (8 years )
Business Area Manager

CAP (CAP Scientific) [became Sema]

(Public Company; 201-500 employees; Computer Software industry)

March 1981 — October 1986 (5 years 8 months)

Business Area Manager with technical & P&L responsibility for CAP Scientific's non-defence work. Another great job full of experience and challenge and my alma mater of the computer industry.
The best piece was working on hard problems and designing low energy housing.
A terrific firm which I left when I wanted to work away from London.
Business Area Manager

CAP Scientific

(Pharmaceuticals industry)

1980 — 1986 (6 years )

Roger James’s Education

University College London, U. of London

PhD , Theoretical Physics / Chemistry , 1976 — 1978

Activities and Societies:

On the Defect Structure of Rutile and Corrundum Oxides
University of Oxford

MA , Chemistry , 1972 — 1976

Activities and Societies:

St Catherine's College

Additional Information

Roger James’s Interests:

EBIC Social Impact Award - the use of technology in not-for-profit, chair of judges for a sponsored fellowship scheme Drupal Open source Enterprise RSS architectuies