James Smither

James Smither has over two decades of experience in risk management, governance and compliance spanning work in all six continents. Currently Global Head of Risk Management at leading law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, he has previously performed a similar ‘in-house’ role for the mining business of ArcelorMittal, a Fortune500 steel manufacturing company for which health and safety was an overriding priority. He has also held a range of advisory positions, most recently as a Director at PwC advising FTSE100 businesses, and before that in several boutique consultancies focused on geopolitical, integrity and sustainability risks for business investing in frontier markets. A passionate advocate for neurodiversity inclusion and for its intersection with positive mental health and well-being, James is a co-founder and committee member of the Legal Neurodiversity Network, a grassroots movement established in early 2023 whose membership now encompasses over 80 organisations collectively aiming to make the UK legal services sector more accessible for people whose brains work differently.