James Southerland

VP Partnerships in London, United Kingdom

James Southerland

VP Partnerships in London, United Kingdom

I’ve spent 25 years at the commercial edge of elite motorsport — building partnerships, chasing Cannes Lions, and trying to make sponsorship mean something beyond a logo on a car.

Currently Head of Partnerships at Williams F1, I’ve previously held senior roles at McLaren and Virgin, and founded my own consultancy, Formula Marketing, along the way. I’m a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, studied Russian and German at Exeter, and sit as a Non-Executive Director at Swim Wales.

I’m interested in how sport, technology and brand intersect — and in what commercial leadership looks like when it’s actually working.

  • Work
    • Williams F1 Team
  • Education
    • University of Exeter
    • Norwich School