About Us
With the clear mission of helping and inspiring business leaders, ‘Leading on the Frontline’ is a partnership forged from careers spent making life-or-death decisions.
Meeting during their Executive MBA at the University of Cambridge, James and Christian recognised the shared value of their frontline medical and military experience. Using real-life examples, they powerfully compare two different but similarly fast-flowing, high-performance environments.
‘Leading on the Frontline’ share extraordinary insights with their audience from careers of split-second decision-making in ambiguous, potentially fatal circumstances, and a resilience borne from extreme scenarios. Grounded in the reality of holding lives in their hands, they are a compelling mix of achievement and emotional intelligence – as encouraging and open about learning from their failures as much their success. This is a powerful alliance that provides deeply insightful perspectives for today’s complex business world.
What We Offer
‘Leading on the Frontline’ offers executive and corporate audiences refreshingly candid views on how to elicit the very best from teams under extreme pressure. Delivered with contagious enthusiasm, James and Christian shine a new light on problems and inspire individuals, academics, professionals, and corporate audiences to better manage themselves and their businesses through a crisis.
+ Christian Gleave
A former Royal Air Force fighter pilot and Group Captain, Christian deployed on 6 separate military operational conflicts, flew 4000 hours through day and night, and operated on the frontline from both land and at sea. He served in the Pentagon, holding the position of UK Strategic Advisor to the Chief of the United States Air Force, and was a member of the RAF Aerobatic Team, The Red Arrows. In 2012, he supervised and led the unique ‘E II R’ formation of 29 aircraft over the Queen for her Diamond Jubilee. Following his military service, Christian served as Executive Director and Board Member for Meta Aerospace, providing special mission aerospace services to governments, and is a consultant to aerospace companies.
Click here for notable achievements
Degrees
Kings College, London
- Masters in Defence Studies & Strategy
University of Cambridge
- Executive Masters in Business Administration
Scholarships and Awards
- Royal Air Force Flying Scholarship
- Cambridge University – Executive MBA Director’s Scholarship 2020
- Cambridge University – Executive MBA Bursary 2020
- USAF Annual Trophy for Outstanding Leadership and Most Significant Contribution to the Air Campaign
Qualifications
- Central Flying School Standards Examiner
- Qualified Flying instructor (QFI CFS A2)
- Qualified Weapons Instructor (QWI A2)
- Qualified Tactics Instructor Instructor (QTI A2)
+ Dr James Risley
An Emergency Medicine Consultant, James is a former Clinical Director and Associate Divisional Director of an Acute Hospital Trust. As a physician, he is responsible for managing the most critically ill patients presenting to a hospital. Dealing with uncertainty, high levels of risk and imperfect information, he leads teams of clinicians in a fast-moving and highly stressful environment.
As a hospital director, he was responsible for the strategic and operational success of clinical services. Tasked with maintaining clinical effectiveness, he was part of the senior team leading a medical division of 1300 people and has been awarded Fellowship of the Faculty of Medical Leadership and Management. A law graduate, endurance athlete and entrepreneur, James also provides advice to international life-science firms on strategy, helping them to scale internationally.
A law graduate, endurance athlete and entrepreneur, James also provides advice to international life-science firms on strategy, helping them to scale internationally.
Click here for notable achievements
Degrees
University of Cambridge
- Executive MBA
Nottingham Law School
- Masters of Laws, LLM
University of Nottingham
- Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery, BMBS
- Bachelor of Biomedical Sciences, BMedSci
Diplomas
Royal College of Emergency Medicine:
- Fellowship by Examination, Diploma (FRCEM)
Nottingham Law School:
- Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL)
Royal College of Surgeons of England:
- Intercollegiate Diploma of the Royal College of Surgeons of England (MRCS)
- Diploma of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery (DOHNS)
Scholarships and Awards
- Fellow of the Faculty of Medical Leadership and Management: As per www.fmlm.ac.uk, FMLM Fellows form a prestigious community that demonstrates, and advocates for, excellence in medical leadership. We represent a cadre of medical leaders who have been nationally recognised as high performing leaders that have made a significant contribution to healthcare.Fellowship recognises those who demonstrate a high-level of leadership competence, consistent with the FMLM Leadership and Management Standards for Medical Professionals. At the time of award, nationally there were only 81 Fellows and 92 Senior Fellows.
- Executive MBA Healthcare Scholar, Judge Business School, University of Cambridge.
- Association of Partnership Practitioners Prize, Best Business Student, LLM Degree.
- Lord Denning Scholarship, The Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn: awarded ‘to study the BPTC, based on intellectual strength, high motivation and drive, complete integrity, and a high level of intelligent articulacy’.
- Lord Brougham Scholarship, The Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn: one of 32 awarded to non-law graduates of ‘outstanding ability’ to study the GDL.
- Master of Laws Scholarship, Nottingham Law School: awarded to ‘those demonstrating outstanding achievement both academically and personally’.
- Royal Navy Medical Cadetship: one of 12 awarded annually, having passed the Admiralty Interview Board and being offered a commission as a Royal Naval Officer.
Research
- Primary author of peer-reviewed publications and textbooks.
- Founding/Senior Editor of a peer-reviewed surgical journal.
- Contributory author to publications by Oxford University Press and PasTest.
- Presentations at national and international conferences.
- Experienced in clinical audit and quality improvement projects.
+ Dr James Risley
An Emergency Medicine Consultant, James is a former Clinical Director and Associate Divisional Director of an Acute Hospital Trust. As a physician, he is responsible for managing the most critically ill patients presenting to a hospital. Dealing with uncertainty, high levels of risk and imperfect information, he leads teams of clinicians in a fast-moving and highly stressful environment.
As a hospital director, he was responsible for the strategic and operational success of clinical services. Tasked with maintaining clinical effectiveness, he was part of the senior team leading a medical division of 1300 people and has been awarded Fellowship of the Faculty of Medical Leadership and Management. A law graduate, endurance athlete and entrepreneur, James also provides advice to international life-science firms on strategy, helping them to scale internationally.
A law graduate, endurance athlete and entrepreneur, James also provides advice to international life-science firms on strategy, helping them to scale internationally.
Click here for notable achievements
Degrees
University of Cambridge
- Executive MBA
Nottingham Law School
- Masters of Laws, LLM
University of Nottingham
- Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery, BMBS
- Bachelor of Biomedical Sciences, BMedSci
Diplomas
Royal College of Emergency Medicine:
- Fellowship by Examination, Diploma (FRCEM)
Nottingham Law School:
- Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL)
Royal College of Surgeons of England:
- Intercollegiate Diploma of the Royal College of Surgeons of England (MRCS)
- Diploma of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery (DOHNS)
Scholarships and Awards
- Fellow of the Faculty of Medical Leadership and Management: As per www.fmlm.ac.uk, FMLM Fellows form a prestigious community that demonstrates, and advocates for, excellence in medical leadership. We represent a cadre of medical leaders who have been nationally recognised as high performing leaders that have made a significant contribution to healthcare.Fellowship recognises those who demonstrate a high-level of leadership competence, consistent with the FMLM Leadership and Management Standards for Medical Professionals. At the time of award, nationally there were only 81 Fellows and 92 Senior Fellows.
- Executive MBA Healthcare Scholar, Judge Business School, University of Cambridge.
- Association of Partnership Practitioners Prize, Best Business Student, LLM Degree.
- Lord Denning Scholarship, The Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn: awarded ‘to study the BPTC, based on intellectual strength, high motivation and drive, complete integrity, and a high level of intelligent articulacy’.
- Lord Brougham Scholarship, The Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn: one of 32 awarded to non-law graduates of ‘outstanding ability’ to study the GDL.
- Master of Laws Scholarship, Nottingham Law School: awarded to ‘those demonstrating outstanding achievement both academically and personally’.
- Royal Navy Medical Cadetship: one of 12 awarded annually, having passed the Admiralty Interview Board and being offered a commission as a Royal Naval Officer.
Research
- Primary author of peer-reviewed publications and textbooks.
- Founding/Senior Editor of a peer-reviewed surgical journal.
- Contributory author to publications by Oxford University Press and PasTest.
- Presentations at national and international conferences.
- Experienced in clinical audit and quality improvement projects.