Welcome to our ‘Unlocking Leadership‘ series, where we delve into the minds of visionary founders, leaders, and innovators. Through our Q&A interviews, we uncover the core principles that shape leadership in today’s dynamic business world.

For this week’s Unlocking Leadership, we’re joined by James Bulley, CEO and Co-founder of Trivandi, a global consultancy specialising in the advisory, design, and delivery of major events, venues and destinations.

With over 30 years of experience in delivering and operating mega projects, James advises boards, governments, and funding institutions on the successful delivery, financing, operation, and legacy of major events, venues, and destinations around the globe.

As Director of Venues, Infrastructure, and Olympic Park for the London 2012 Organising Committee, James oversaw the delivery and operation of more than 120 sites and venues required for the Games. He recruited and led the venue operations teams and held overall responsibility for the operations of the London Olympic Park.

In recognition of his contributions to the London Games, James was awarded the Olympic Order by the IOC and an OBE in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours List for his outstanding services to the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Here, James shares his unique insights on empowering teams, driving sustainability in event planning, and nurturing innovation in the dynamic realm of high-stakes project delivery…

What are three core principles that guide your approach to leadership?

 1. Empowering individuals: I believe in empowering people to do what they’re best at. It starts with hiring brilliant individuals and then enabling them to thrive within the organisation. This means providing the support, tools, and resources they need to perform at their highest level. Trust is key — trusting them to do their job and providing both moral support and encouragement. It’s important to show them that you believe in their abilities, helping them to believe in themselves. Acting as a mentor, coach, and guide is essential.

2.  Uniting the team behind a clear vision: A clear and inspiring vision is fundamental to leadership. It’s important to articulate how we’ll achieve that vision and make sure everyone understands their role in the process. When people feel a sense of purpose and can see the progress they’re making towards a shared goal, they become more engaged and motivated.

3. Contributing to the wider industry: It’s important to relate what we’re doing within our company to how it contributes to the broader industry that we’re operating in. This means ensuring that our work helps improve conditions for people that work in the industry, supports other organisations and companies, and enhances the way things are done industry-wide. Our company’s role is not just internal but part of a larger ecosystem.

Underpinning all these principles is authenticity. Everything you do and say must be genuine. People need to feel involved, listened to, and valued — whether they’re part of your team or the broader industry. Being a great leader requires brilliant communication. It’s not just about what you say, but how you listen, understand and validate what you’ve heard.

How are you fostering a culture of innovation and creativity within your organisation?

I learnt during the planning of the London 2012 Olympics, that bringing together people with different skills, from different disciplines and with different experiences and backgrounds, that you get better, more creative and productive outcomes. It’s all about encouraging people to try something out and giving people the freedom to experiment.

When someone steps up with an idea we set up a special, diverse project team — what we call an incubator — to brainstorm it; to co-create the idea and to make it happen. Whether it succeeds or not, they are recognised and rewarded.

We’ve built an environment where trying something new — even if it doesn’t work — is seen as a valuable learning experience. We are highly agile so if it’s not working we fail fast or mix it up and do it completely differently and bank the learnings. It’s much like riding a bike and falling off – you’ll cycle better next time, or go and get a better bike. Failing is an investment in learning to do things better.

What’s one of the most innovative approaches you’re taking to integrate sustainability into the design and delivery of major projects that you lead?

Sustainability goes beyond simple choices like using refillable water bottles and recycling plastic waste. It’s about reducing the big impacts such as carbon emissions and waste through integrating sustainability into every planning decision and procurement choice. Through applying sustainability principles, embracing ideas of circular economy such as reuse, repurpose, exploring low-impact materials and technologies – we are actively reducing impacts. 

By making the right strategic choices upfront on the masterplan, applying our lessons learned on previous events, where efficiencies can be made; designing more efficiently, we significantly reduce the carbon and waste footprint of our projects.

Co-founders: James (left) with fellow founders Jonathan Branson (centre) and Paul May (right).

As an example, we’ve partnered with Solivus, who develop solar film solutions and implement solar on roofs that can’t take the weight of standard solar PV panels. For events, this means large-span stadium roofs, temporary structures like tents and portable cabins can now have solar applied. This innovative approach reduces reliance on diesel generators and grid energy. These sorts of initiatives make a significant impact on the carbon footprint of a mega-event.

How do you balance the immediate needs of clients and stakeholders with longer-term sustainability commitments?

Whilst Trivandi has ingrained sustainability and legacy into our organisation from the start, we wanted to go one step further. We recently acquired The Bulb, a leading event sustainability advisory practice, to give us the ability to authentically advise our clients on sustainability. We now support our clients to set visions for sustainability and strategies tied to their long-term national vision and city-wide development plans.

As an example, for COP28 we worked with stakeholders to bring clear policy and data to inform decision making. The UAE delivered the event at the highest level of sustainability, investing in carbon credits to offset flights of delegates, developing new facilities for waste recycling, educating food suppliers and caterers and changing operating procedures. By presenting sustainability measures as opportunities that benefit both the project and the environment over the long term, we’re able to justify these decisions, even with budget constraints. It’s about looking at the full lifecycle of a project and demonstrating the broader benefits and opportunities.

How are you promoting diversity, equity and inclusion across the projects that you lead?

For me, it’s very simple: diverse teams lead to better outcomes. When you have a group of people with different backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences, and an environment that supports open dialogue, you get more innovative and effective solutions. If everyone in the room thinks the same way, or is nervous to speak up, you miss out on those creative ideas.

But it goes beyond this. I came from a very traditional profession where there was little diversity. Again, what I learnt from London 2012 was that people who turn up for work wearing what they are comfortable wearing; being themselves rather than trying to fit the corporate mould; not having to hide who they really are, put simply, do better work. We all know if you are around your friends, you feel safe and the trust is there to speak more freely and openly.

We actively promote diversity through our corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes and encourage the team to voice what matters to them. We actively support initiatives like Pride and International Women’s Day to raise awareness of diversity in our sector, especially around women and the LGBTQ+ community. We work in many cultures including those where there are LGBTQ+ and women’s rights issues. However, we always pick the best team for the project and provide any support they might need with our people first culture. We have never seen any issues or had any staff concern regarding discrimination on these projects.

What are you most excited about right now, for Trivandi?  

I’m really excited about the advancements in technology and AI, and how they can be applied within our industry. There are so many developments happening in AI, and we’re currently exploring and carrying out studies on how we can implement technology solutions into the events ecosystem to enhance the way we operate and support our clients. We’re investing considerable time, effort, and resources into technology and AI to streamline and turbocharge how we work. It’s a huge opportunity to transform the way we deliver events.

We are also excited about working with the host nations for the next run of global mega events; Olympics and Paralympic Games, FIFA World Cup and World Expo.

What’s the best piece of career advice that you’ve received?

There are no shortcuts — it’s all about hard work. The more effort you put in and the more you pay it forward, the greater the rewards… even if it takes 10, 20, or 30 years to see the dividends. Pay it forward and plan for the long term.

Another key piece of advice is to never burn bridges with any person you come across. You’ll inevitably cross paths with the same people again, and maintaining positive relationships is crucial.

Finally, as a senior leader, your job is not just to deliver results, but to look outwardly and create a higher purpose vision. Always be there for your team, ensuring they’re supported and have the environment to thrive.

Which leaders inspire you?

Lord Paul Deighton. Despite his incredible number of responsibilities, he always makes time for people. Even as CEO of LOCOG (the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games) when he had around 20 direct reports, and was dealing with the government, media, and a multitude of stakeholders, Paul never seemed too busy to offer support. What’s remarkable is that he didn’t need to say much; with just a few words, he could motivate you and help you see a new perspective when you felt stuck. His ability to lead by example and always make time for others is something I deeply admire.

How do you maintain a healthy work-life balance?

I love spending time being active outdoors – whether it’s climbing, cycling, or hiking. Getting lost in the mountains helps clear my head, reset, and refresh, which gives me space for creative thoughts and new ideas. There are three key things I believe in to maintain a healthy balance:

  1.     Exercise regularly – at least 30 minutes a day.
  2.     Eat healthily and at the right times.
  3.     Get quality sleep.

I’m obsessive about these because they help me stay focused, energised, and ready to lead effectively.

What has been a personal career highlight?

Being part of the team when we won the bid to host the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games was a life-changing moment. And then seven years later, being in the Olympic stadium to watch Usain Bolt win 100m gold was a pretty top moment, given all the effort we’d put into the operations and delivery of the London 2012 venues to make it happen.

And finally, what is a favourite motto that you often draw on?

“Fortiter et Constanter”: which means Fortitude and Perseverance — something I learnt from my mother.