THE REVEREND JAMES A CRUDDAS OBE MBA MCMI FRSA James A Cruddas, 51, is Deputy Director, Circular Economy Strategy and Policy in the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and Presbyter (Minister), West London Mission, The Methodist Church, practising in the workplace and serving at Hinde Street and Kings Cross Methodist Churches in central London.

A civil servant for over three decades, in his current role he leads development of the government’s strategy to transition to a circular economy. Prior to his current role James was Director, Windsor Framework, responsible for implementing the framework in Northern Ireland. In his career he has worked in trade, national emergency response and recovery, regeneration, housing and transport, as well as organisational change and HR. In his early career, he was assistant private secretary to two Parliamentary Under-Secretaries of State in the House of Lords.

In ministry, prior to joining West London Mission, James was minister of Belvedere Methodist Church in southeast London, part of the the Lesnes Abbey Circuit of the Methodist Church. At West London Mission, he has led the Working Faithfully programme and is a trustee of two charities, one of which is a multi-million pound social enterprise.

James graduated a Master of Business Administration (Pubic Service) from The University of Birmingham in 2004, with distinction. He became a Member of the Chartered Management Institute the following year, then elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts, Manufactures and Commerce in 2007. James was appointed an Officer of the Most Honourable Order of the British Empire in the New Year Honours 2022, for public service. He is a Fellow of the Westminster Abbey Institute, which promotes thinking about moral purpose in public life. He is currently on the Major Projects Leadership Academy.

James is married to Rachel; they have three sons, twins Mali and Zach, and Hezi. They live in Oxfordshire.