STRATEGY · OPERATIONS · DELIVERY
Solving the problems that hold organisations back.
I'm James Corbett. I ran the office of a Member of the Scottish Parliament for a decade, as his closest adviser and the person who kept the whole operation on track. Now I bring that mix of strategic thinking and practical delivery to other organisations as a fractional chief of staff, an operations lead or a hands-on troubleshooter.
HOW I CAN HELP
Senior support, without a full-time hire
FRACTIONAL CHIEF OF STAFF
Senior support for founders, CEOs and boards, a few days a month. I keep priorities straight, act as gatekeeper and make sure decisions turn into action, so you're free to lead.
Priorities, planning and follow-through
Stakeholder and board relationships
Preparing for investment and funding
COMMUNICATIONS & PUBLIC AFFAIRS
Drawing on my decade in the Scottish Parliament, I review how your organisation engages with the public, regulators, the press and politicians, then help your team sharpen its approach. I can also step in directly where you need extra capacity.
Reviewing your approach to building effective links with Holyrood, local government and Westminster
Sharpening messaging and media handling
Media relations, speechwriting and briefing
TROUBLESHOOTING
Sometimes you know exactly what's wrong. Sometimes you just know something isn't right. Either way, I can help identify what's holding you back and help you put a solution in place.
Getting stalled projects moving
Negotiation and dispute resolution
Reviewing how things are done
OPERATIONS & DELIVERY
Hands-on support, from the day-to-day running of a growing business to managing capital projects with many people involved.
Contracts, procurement and tendering
Construction and fit-out management
Operating models and recruitment
Interim cover for key roles
SKILLS
A generalist, by design
Ten years in a fast-moving parliamentary office meant turning my hand to whatever came up. That range is exactly what start-ups, scale-ups and small teams need. These are the skills I use most.
Operational leadership
Strategic advice
Stakeholder engagement and negotiation
Political and policy analysis
Media relations
Speechwriting and drafting
Contracts, procurement and tendering
Funding and grant applications
Project management
Events and campaigns
BACKGROUND
Ten years at the heart of Holyrood
From 2016 to 2026 I worked in the Office of Brian Whittle MSP (South Scotland), rising from Communications Officer to Senior Adviser and Head of Office. I was the MSP's principal adviser on policy, strategy and communications, his representative with senior figures across politics, business, public services and the third sector, and the person responsible for keeping the office running.
Parliamentary work doesn't come in neat categories. It taught me to prioritise under pressure, to handle sensitive issues discreetly, and to turn complex, public-facing problems into clear action. That's what I now bring to the organisations I work with.
Staff and budgets: managed the team and six-figure budgets as Head of Office.
Offices from start to finish: led the acquisition, set-up and running of several regional offices, from landlord negotiation and fit-out through to winding offices up and negotiating dilapidations.
Communications at scale: wrote press releases and comment pieces for local and national media, built relationships with print, radio and TV journalists, prepared the MSP for national broadcast interviews, and ran social media and newsletters reaching 50,000+ households. Also worked with BBC Scotland on an exposé of school food procurement.
Shaping policy: played a leading role in developing policy on issues including preventative healthcare, NHS reform, land reform, rural connectivity and energy.
IN PRACTICE
Examples of recent work
OPERATIONS LEAD
ProfessorMe
Operations lead for a fast-growing edtech AI scale-up, supporting the founder and CEO and the wider C-suite on contracts, Seed and Series A preparation, procurement, grant applications, tendering, product testing and onboarding new staff.
PROJECT MANAGER
Dunblane Square
Project management of the £1m+ conversion of a former bank in Dunblane into a community hospitality and events space: coordinating the trades through construction and fit-out, and developing the brand, operating model and staff recruitment for the community trust that runs it.
Get in touch
If you have a challenge in mind, or simply want to explore how I could help, I'd be pleased to hear from you.
Email pfdstrategies@icloud.com, connect on LinkedIn, or use the form.