Emma James,
Associate

I am a specialist in Place curation, strategy and marketing in private, public and voluntary sectors.

I have a passion for all things ‘Place’ related, am a Fellow of the Institute of Place Management, a High Street Task Force Expert, and have a Masters in Place Management and Leadership with distinction.

I have over 20 years’ experience of undertaking place animation strategies, place branding and marketing and stakeholder engagement at all levels.

Why I chose this career…
My first career experience post university was in the Public Affairs team at the National Trust’s Regional Office in the Lake District. That experience taught me about places, what they can mean to different people, and how they can be managed and promoted to best effect.

Places I love…
I am fascinated by urban development, and the need for it to be driven by people as well as economies. For that reason, New York and Brooklyn are on my hotlist on the urban front. But closer to home I love Kendal in Cumbria where I grew up. It’s a gorgeous market town with so much potential that I’d love to get involved in.

The project I am most proud of…
The work I did with Aviva Investors and Queensberry Real Estate to take the Corn Exchange in Manchester from failed shopping centre to bustling food hangout. It is an amazing building, and I worked on the project from start to finish.