Laura James
Background
Laura is a Senior Lecturer with a professional background in leadership within the banking sector. With over a decade of industry experience, she has held roles that focused on strategic leadership, organisational change, and talent development in financial institutions. Her transition into academia has been driven by a passion for developing future leaders and bridging the gap between theory and practice.
Laura is an expert in Sustainability Leadership. Her research explores the lived experiences of leaders navigating the journey to sustainability leadership, focusing on the personal, cultural, and systemic shifts required to lead sustainably in complex environments.
She brings a practitioner’s insight into her teaching, offering students a rich blend of real-world experience and academic rigour. Laura is particularly interested in interdisciplinary approaches to leadership education and is committed to fostering inclusive, forward-thinking learning environments.
Specialist Subjects
- Sustainability Leadership – exploring how individuals and organisations experience and navigate the journey toward sustainable leadership practices.
- Motivational Techniques – examining the psychological and behavioural drivers that inspire individuals and teams to perform at their best.
- Strategic Leadership – focusing on long-term visioning, decision-making under complexity, and leading through change.
- Ethical and Responsible Leadership – investigating how values-based leadership can shape organisational culture and stakeholder trust.
- Leadership Development in Practice – drawing on her industry background to support experiential learning and real-world application of leadership theory
Professional and/or Research Experience
She has presented her work at national and international academic conferences, contributing to thought leadership in the field. Prior to entering academia, Laura held senior leadership and management roles in the banking sector, where she led strategic initiatives and organisational development programmes.
Her combined academic and professional experience informs her teaching and research, particularly in leadership development, sustainability, and organisational change.
Qualifications
- BA (Hons) Business and Management
- PGCE (PCET)