It was my good fortune to have worked closely with James in an executive client/provider relationship for over two years while managing a service provider's contracted service outcomes to one of Australia's more iconic brands during James' own lengthy tenure as the organization's CIO.

In all business practices in my experience, James places both internal and external service providers under persistent tension to deliver quality outcomes and he strives to set new benchmarks and expectations for every day operations. A quality many organisations seek from those 'on point' in such a role.

Selfishly I would have liked to have worked with James earlier in my career, or for longer. I certainly remain appreciative of the opportunity gained across many applied tests throughout that time and as the saying goes I learnt through James to 'never waste a good crisis'. Two and half years made a significant difference - one I can consciously detect and one that I continue to take with me into all new experiences today. I hope you get a similar opportunity in your career to work closely with James O'Donnell or someone like him. You'll be better for it.