As joint owner and Managing Director of Matthews Europe, the Middle East & Africa (EMEA), James is responsible for the overall cost management consulting service delivery and client care. With more than 25 years of experience in the construction industry in both Europe and the Middle East, James is a highly capable and proven team leader, leading cost management services for a variety of key clients in numerous sectors including hotels, commercial, culture, historic buildings, residential, retail, aviation, industrial, infrastructure, and master planning.

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James started his professional career with Davis Langdon in London, achieving member status of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors following the completion of his Master’s degree in Construction Cost Management. Transferring to Bahrain in 2005 to support the growth of the Middle East market, James was responsible for managing teams to deliver a variety of projects before relocating to the UAE in 2008 as part of the start-up team to open the Abu Dhabi office, where he took leadership of the development of cost management services.

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James then joined Gardiner & Theobald as a Director in the UAE, responsible for delivery of cost management services and client care across a variety of sectors for almost a decade, before spearheading the acquisition of G&T in the region by Matthews in 2017 and becoming a joint owner of the business.

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With significant prowess in challenging projects that require an innovative approach and an ability to manage work on multiple fronts, James motivates his team to provide best-in-class service at every stage of a project.

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A member of various specialist groups developing thought leadership, capturing benchmark data, and preparing client-specific collaboration sites, James has been instrumental in developing business intelligence in support of service delivery across the EMEA.