Career Insights from Sir James Duddridge KCMG

Essex alumnus and former MP Sir James Duddridge reflects on his career journey from banking in Africa to government in a careers talk.

The University of Essex hosts a careers conversation with alumnus Sir James Duddridge KCMG, a former MP and government minister who served under three Prime Ministers and was Minister for Africa at the Foreign Office. He will discuss the challenges, turning points and relationships that shaped his path from managing banking operations in Africa to working in Downing Street, Whitehall and with institutions such as the World Bank and the United Nations. The talk covers lessons on earning trust, decision-making under pressure and building connections across cultures and industries.