James Tickell

James is a Partner of Campbell Tickell and has been with the company since 2004. During this period, he has carried out a wide range of assignments in all four countries of the UK, focusing on governance, mergers and groups, performance improvement, communications and strategy. Among the assignments James has undertaken are:

• Working with housing associations experiencing regulatory problems to move beyond any difficulties and improve their performance;
• Working as Interim CE of a major housing group for some 14 months while the organisation was in supervision;
• Numerous governance reviews, board appraisal exercises, awaydays, strategic planning exercises and scenario planning;
• Writing the third edition of ‘Learning from Problem Cases’ for the Housing Corporation;
• Writing the Charity Commission’s flagship guidance for Trustees and other key guidance booklets for charities;
• Writing the first NCVO Code of Governance for the voluntary sector;
• Undertaking a statutory inquiry on behalf of the Housing Corporation in the affairs of a troubled housing association;
• Conducting confidential inquiries into a range of major problems and incidents on behalf of various clients;
• Assisting and advising on issues connected with the formation of group structures, mergers and partnerships;
• Recruitment/executive search for Chief Executives and other senior positions.

Previously, James was the Deputy Chief Executive of the National Housing Federation, a position he held for 10 years, with wide responsibilities for communications, regions and governance.

Before joining the Federation, he was the Registrar of the Housing Corporation, a senior post in the department responsible for the regulation and supervision of associations. There he dealt with a range of supervision cases, consents, and registration of LSVTs. He also worked for a housing association and a national refugee charity. He trained as an architect.

James has served as a Board member of five housing associations, including as a statutory appointee to the Board of an organisation in supervision. He has served as a trustee of Public Concern at Work, the whistleblowing charity, and also a non-executive Director of McCann Homes Ltd., a developer and housebuilder. He has published books on the Maya and Inca civilisations, as well as on housing-related subjects.