James Blair Email & Phone Number

United Kingdom

Vedette specialises in advising government clients in the European Institutions, Ireland and the UK across the defence and security landscape on: C2, strategy and concepts, logistics, training and education, innovation and research as well as acquisition and support.Our personnel regularly support national security & resilience projects and we are involved.

United Kingdom

Facilitating the military contribution to partner force capacity building at individual, organisational and institutional level.Enabling operations by facilitating civil-military cooperation (CIMIC) between the Force and non-military actors and the civil environment.Acting as the Defence coordinating authority for support to the delivery of Human Security.

Overseas

Deployed to support overseas operations.

United Kingdom

Member of a hybrid unit of Regulars and Reservists with specialist skills to combat new forms of warfare in the information environment for the defence of the UK and its overseas territories. Provide planning support to military commanders, their staff and Defence Attaché & Loan Service (DALS) personnel to enable them to deliver Outreach across the.

United Kingdom

The Military Stabilisation Support Group (MSSG) is a unique defence organisation that provides the UK with an array of skills and knowledge, that can be used to provide military support to the civilian efforts to stabilise countries around the world that are either emerging from conflict or are at risk of sliding into chaos.The MSSG’s activities are in.

London, United Kingdom

The Royal Yeomanry is a Light Cavalry Army Reserve regiment.The light cavalry soldier needs to be fit, adaptable and self-reliant, ready to work in small teams to get the job done. Often well in front of other friendly forces gathering intelligence on the enemy and environment, he is master of his equipment, mounted in light armoured vehicles (R-WMIKs)..

London / Baghdad

Crown Agents has led this three phase project to build the capability of the Iraqi Intelligence agencies in order to safeguard against terrorism and physical threats. The project has been working to strengthen the capability of the Iraqi Government to respond coherently, inclusively and efficiently to terrorism threats and challenges.The team have.

London, United Kingdom

I provided leadership to the newly formed Stabilisation team within the Consultancy division at Crown Agents. The team comprises top tier principal consultants as well as senior project managers covering both a diverse thematic and geographic portfolio of work.We are trusted specialists with a long history of working with governments across the globe to.

Rzeszów, Podkarpackie, Poland

Forward deployed to establish our response hub providing essential aid from our offices in Ukraine and our operations base in Poland. Worked alongside our logistics team delivering life saving aid into the country. I was the first non Ukrainian member of staff member to cross back into Ukraine since hostilities began.Established relationships with the.

Myanmar

The Humanitarian Assistance and Resilience Programme (HARP) is a UK Government Department for International Development (DFID) initiative designed to respond to humanitarian needs within Myanmar and on the border with Thailand. It will provide £108.5 million from 2016-2020 for both protracted conflict-related crises and natural disasters. The mechanism is.

London / Baghdad

Led operational management of the Iraqi team, comprising the management team in Baghdad and field survey teams tasked with data collection in Nineveh, Kirkuk, Anbar and Sal ad-Din governorates. Survey was to provide data and analysis on the areas in North-Western Iraq significantly affected by the conflict with ISIL to find candidate projects to be.

United Kingdom

• Responsible for the delivery of technical inputs, management of projects and identification, development and winning of opportunities.Primary focus is stabalistaion related acitivies in Middle East and North Africa.
• Thought leader in technical area, creating, accessing and sharing knowledge
• Provide technical inputs to internal and external projects, marketing and promotion, planning activities and negotiations
• Maintain and build technical knowledge and skills through Continuous Professional Development, training and industry awareness
• Performance manage and guide assigned team members on technical and managerial aspects of technical delivery, identification of business opportunity and stakeholder/client relationship managementBusiness Development
• Opportunity identification, tracking and management

UK / Juba

The Health Pooled Fund is a three and a half year fund, currently supported by the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAid), the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), the British Government’s Department for International Development (DFID), the European Commission (EC) and the Swedish International Development and Cooperation.

London / Tripoli

Crown Agents supported structured civil society participation in the drafting of Libya’s new constitution, providing critical support in-country even as the security situation deteriorated and the post-Gadhafi landscape became increasingly volatile and dangerous. On behalf of EUNIDA Crown Agents was contracted as the lead agency and GIZ subcontracted to.

London, United Kingdom

Contribute to the development of strategy, monitor company finanical performance and ensure systems of risk management are robust and defensible.

London, United Kingdom

• Formulated 3 year strategic growth plan which included appointment of new staff to deliver plan through to 2011
• Directed EC Framework Contracts and ensured increased win rate in that business area
• Ensured continuing exclusive contract for the provision of British Observers for EU Election Observation Missions
• Grew the training programme revenue by 20% including increasing the base of overseas government clients

• Drafted proposals and budgets in team which won bids for projects of value greater than €1 million, including EU and UNDP contracts
• Drafted and submitted consultancy reports to FCO/DFID and other clients
• Selected UK team for EU Election Observation Missions, and managed the UK roster of observers on behalf of FCO.
• Managed the field office in Ethiopia deputising for the Project Director, including the management of a team of ten coordinating day-to-day implementation of the domestic observer programme for Somali region (2005)
• Designed the process for recruiting and selecting ERIS consultants, resulting in the creation of a targeted database facilitating better matching of candidates
• Designed and delivered promotional materials, including the company website.

• Headhunted to improve the efficiency of election observation missions and assist with project work
• Drove a 10- fold improvement in speed and efficiency, a 100-fold increase in profitability and reduced the staff resource involved in the activity from 3 to 1, by transforming an unstructured, tracking and selection.
• Recruited, managed and deployed 200+ UK observers for OSCE election observation missions, including preparing briefing materials and coordinating logistical arrangements
• Accountable as team leader for logistical arrangements and per-diem allocation for UK observers, whilst deployed on observation missions to Serbia, Russia, and Georgia

London, United Kingdom

Promoted to manage the performance of Crown Agents' Africa network of international offices, directing the promotion of the full range of CA group services and capabilities to existing and prospective clients in the Africa region.Responsible for coaching and mentoring the Africa network of Business Directors and Country Managers to improve lead generation.

• Headhunted to develop the strategy for international resourcing and build a centralised corporate team as part of the 2009 Strategic Change Management Programme.
• Took over International Recruitment business function and oversaw 80% growth to revenue (December 2009)
• Introduced new IT consultant database system that produced first year savings of £50,000 over previous system and on-going annual savings of £15,000. (August 2009)
• Team transferred to Business Development Directorate and grew team from 4 to 7 resource advisors, creating an internal head-hunting function for internal clients (December 2009)
• Appointed Chair of the Environmental Working Group responsible for corporate environmental policy
• Integrated corporate IT recruitment through establishment of PSL producing typical savings of 12% over previous suppliers (July 2009)

United Kingdom

Short Term Observer: Azerbaijan (2009), Armenia (2008), Ukraine (2008), Ukraine (2007), Armenia (2005), Macedonia (2004), Russia (2003), Georgia (2003), Serbia & Montenegro (2003), Armenia (2003), Bosnia (2003), Armenia (2002), Kosovo (2001)

United Kingdom

EU International Election ObserverCambodia (2008), Malawi (2004), Sri Lanka (2004)

• Adviser on team responsible for coordinating and supporting implementation of Global Business Excellence (GLOBE) a universal platform supported by SAP architecture for integrating Nestlé worldwide (250,000 employees in.
• Accountable for report formatting, collation, analysis and, tracking within the central communications UK team supporting GLOBE Centre Europe in Frankfurt
• Extracted and reported monthly project updates to deliver to the UK GLOBE steering committee
• Managed as part of 7-strong team, the development process for reporting tools used within the main SAP database, coordinating the outputs of software engineers for each corporate function

Bachelor'S Degree, War Studies, 2(I) Hons

Activities and Societies: Appointed Student Staff representative for 3rd Year finalists Active member of the ‘War Studies Society’ Member.

Master'S Degree, International Conflict Analysis, Distinction

Studied at London Centre for International Relations - now part of King's College London War studies Department. Thesis title: ‘Using a.

Gcse & A Levels, 3 X A-Levels / 9 X Gcse

Activities and Societies: • Appointed school prefect (1995) • Appointed senior Naval Cadet for school CCF (Combined Cadet Force).