CLTR appoints James Ginns as Head of Risk Management Policy

The Centre for Long-Term Resilience (CLTR) has appointed James Ginns to lead its policy programme on risk management. James’ policy work will focus on how governments can build systems that are more resilient to the most extreme risks we face.

James was previously Chief Risk Officer of Cathay Pacific, and has held a number of other senior leadership positions at the Swire Group. As well as having significant risk management expertise in the private sector, James has extensive experience in the non-profit sector, through a previous advisory role at the Mekong Club, and a previous management role at a UNHCR centre for Vietnamese refugees – both in Hong Kong.

CLTR, which is based in London, works to transform the UK and the world’s resilience to extreme risks – high-impact threats with global reach. We want to ensure that the next time the world faces a threat as serious as Covid-19, we will be much better prepared.

CLTR’s work focuses on three key pillars:

1. Biosecurity, including naturally-occuring pandemics, laboratory leaks and bioweapons;
2. Artificial intelligence, where responsible technology development will be essential to enabling benefits and mitigating risk; and
3. Risk management systems, to transform our approach to governance and to the identification, assessment and mitigation of extreme risks.

As Head of Risk Management Policy, James will be leading CLTR’s work on the third of these pillars.

Angus Mercer, founder and Chief Executive of CLTR, says:

“I am delighted to welcome James to CLTR. James’ risk management expertise, senior management experience and strategic mind make him the perfect choice to lead our risk management work. I am confident that James’ work with CLTR will be of immense value to those in government thinking about how to transform understanding of extreme risks, craft smarter policies to mitigate them, and develop effective systems to manage them.”

James Ginns says:

“I am hugely excited to be joining CLTR and am inspired by both the importance of the organisation’s mission and the quality of the team it is building. It’s hard to think of a more important focus for governments right now than building risk management systems that are more resilient to the most extreme risks we face. I look forward to leading and building out CLTR’s policy programme in this area, bringing together the very best private and public sector thinking.”

Last month Dr Jess Whittlestone joined CLTR as Head of AI Policy. Jess was previously a Senior Research Fellow and Deputy Director of the AI: Futures and Responsibility Programme at the Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence and the Centre for the Study of Existential Risk, both at the University of Cambridge.

CLTR will be announcing its new biosecurity policy lead soon.