James is Partner and Head of Vertical Transportation at Ridge, with more than 20 years' experience in the lift and escalator industry. He leads our specialist consultancy service, helping clients improve the safety, accessibility, performance and long-term value of their vertical transportation assets.

His experience spans commercial, residential, healthcare, education, retail, government and mixed-use developments. James provides independent advice across the full building lifecycle, from concept design and procurement through to maintenance, modernisation, compliance and asset management.

James began his career through a full engineering apprenticeship with KONE before moving into engineering inspection and compliance, and later consultancy. Prior to joining Ridge, he advised clients including Selfridges, JLL and Workman, supporting complex projects and managing large-scale lift and escalator portfolios.

With expertise in condition surveys, maintenance audits, tendering, contract negotiations and lifecycle planning, James works closely with clients and multidisciplinary teams to deliver practical, strategic solutions that support building performance, safety and user experience. He has a particular interest in lift safety, accessibility, energy efficiency and the evolving role of vertical transportation within modern buildings.