Camouflage and consulting: A journey of service and growth

Growing up in a coastal town in Australia, I was the kid who was always curious about how things worked—and how to make them better. That drive led me to Army Cadets, and at 17, I swapped my surfboards for a uniform and joined the Australian Army to serve my country. Thirteen years in uniform taught me about teamwork, resilience, and the art of making coffee in a sandstorm.

My military journey took me from officer training at RMC-Duntroon to deployments in Iraq and Timor-Leste as a signals officer. I saw first-hand the power of collaboration—whether it was at home conducting multinational exercises and preparing to respond to emergencies or abroad working with NATO allies to stabilize a region in conflict.

After leaving the army in 2012, I traded camouflage for consulting and joined PwC Australia’s Strategy& team. There, I found myself on a new mission: helping governments tackle complex challenges and improve the way they deliver services.

In 2015, I made the leap to Canada, continuing my career at PwC Canada to help build the technology consulting team. Over the past decade, I’ve focused on helping provincial and federal government agencies solve problems and improve the way they support Canadians. In the last few years, I’ve increasingly focused on defence, public safety, and justice. In late 2024, I came full circle—taking on a dream role as PwC Canada’s National Defence and Public Safety sector leader.

At PwC, I’m grateful for the opportunity to continue serving. For me, service never really ends—it evolves. Now I’m just doing it in a different uniform.

James is a consulting partner and leads our National Defence and Public Safety practice. He is also the proud sponsor of PwC Canada’s inclusion network for security, emergency, reservist, and veteran personnel.