1. James T. H. Cooke MSc
7b Rupert Court, Soho, London W1D 6EB
+ 44 (0) 7813 - 299039. james.cooke494@gmail.com
A risk management professional with substantial experience developing and implementing best practice to combat serious
violent crime in order to maximise public protection. Career spans a range of senior roles with an increasing level of
accountability for improving organisational, team and individual performance.
. EDUCATION & QUALIFICATIONS
MSc - Operations Management - University of West London
Diploma - Management Studies - University of West London
Personal Development Coach and Mentor - UK Coaching Academy
Teacher - English Language - Cambridge University
Problem Solving Process Manager - Scotland Yard
SIA License - Dec: 2011
AREAS OF EXPERTISE
Capable and confident at strategic and operating levels of delivering successful results in the following areas:-
• Lead and implement special event planning & organisation • Coach and Mentor senior leaders
• Crime risk management for public spaces & violent crime • Design organisational change programmes
• Lead sensitive, technical and legally demanding negotiations • Develop elite multi - disciplinary teams
• Build quality relations within senior public & diplomatic sectors • Lead & design International Exploration Projects
• Plan the care and protection of Royals, VIPs and Diplomats • Teaching English to foreign language students
CAREER & ACHIEVEMENTS
STANDING START SOLUTIONS 2010 - present
Director and Owner
Founder and owner of a new business focused on VIP care services, coaching and training executives together with
consultancy on a range of security sector projects. Key achievements to date include:-
• Executive Development - Coaching and mentoring a range of senior managers from finance, marketing and operational
sectors, helping them towards renewed focus and performance in their business and personal life.
• Targeted Development - Successfully designed “World Ready Training”, a unique development programme to build the
competence and capabilities of apprentices and young managers. This focuses on multi - national teams, working on
selected global engineering and humanitarian field projects. This included a pilot programme in the Arctic Taiga Forest led
by the bush-craft expert Ray Mears.
METROPOLITAN POLICE - Scotland Yard HQ
Chief Inspector 2002 - 2010
Responsible to the Assistant Commissioner - Specialist Crime Directorate - Scotland Yard for leading a wide range of critical
projects all designed to reduce serious violent crime in London. This included leading teams of between 15 and 40 Project
officers and managing budgets of > £1million. Key achievements included:-
• Dangerous Offenders - Led a major programme designed to substantially reduce the risk of dangerous offenders. This
focused on the effectiveness of all existing systems and processes for the management of such offenders across various
types of crime. This resulted in > 40 major strategic and tactical improvements being made following approval by
Metropolitan Police Management Board and GLA Police Authority. Commendation Award – 2005.
• Safer Neighbourhoods - Selected to lead a team to successfully establish “The Safer London Foundation” which was the
first Charity ever to be affiliated to Scotland Yard. This has subsequently become a multi million pound fundraising
operation serving London’s 600 Safer Neighbourhood Teams. Funding included monies sequestrated from serious and
organised crime seizures. Commendation Award - 2006.
• Violent Crime - Achieved > 25% reduction in violent crime within 12 months across London’s worst 8 ‘neighbourhood
hotspots’. This involved the development of new analytical, problem solving and tactical methods with multiple partners.
Commendation Award - 2007.

2. • Criminal Use of Imitation Firearms - Successfully achieved wide-scale changes to HM Revenue & Customs importation
controls whilst leading a London wide operation to reduce serious crime involving imitation firearms. This included a
regional amnesty for owners and retail outlet enforcement checks. Commendation Award - 2008
• Homicides - Prevention of 35 Homicides within 2 years of forming a new independent “Conflict Management Community
Interest Company” for London created to mediate and diffuse life threatening gang and individual conflict situations.
Proposals presented to GLA Police Authority securing £250k towards set up costs and the appointment of the company’s
first executive team. Commendation Award - 2009.
• Gang Crime - Researched and developed a new gang control programme in 6 of London’s worst affected Boroughs called
“Operation Pathways”. This utilised methods emanating from the US Boston Ceasefire project, focussed on group
accountability for single acts of violence by one gang member. The design of this initiative was adopted by the new Chief
Constable of Strathclyde resulting in a 60% reduction in serious gang violence over a 3 year period.
METROPOLITAN POLICE - Scotland Yard HQ
Inspector / Senior Project & Operations Manager 1995 - 2002
Responsible to the Assistant Commissioner for managing two connected central London projects in conjunction with other
public and private sector partners. Both these involved seconded staff, an executive team and partnership board of over 20
members, with multi-million pound fund raising responsibilities. Key achievements included:-
• Safer Public & Business Area Experience - Selected to lead a major project to improve safety for the public and the
business retailers in the corridor between Piccadilly Circus and Covent Garden. This unique project resulted in the creation
of the Capital Link Partnership which developed into the UK’s first Business Improvement District “Heart of London”,
utilising a new business rate levy for local improvements. Commendation Award - 2000.
• Pro-active Street Management - Created a unique business model sponsored by local land owners to fund the
implementation of pro-active street management in London’s West End. This entailed the use of a 35 all weather CCTV
camera network coupled with a fast reaction team and a state of the art command centre. Commendation Award 2002.
METROPOLITAN POLICE - Notting Hill and Charing Cross
Project & Operations Manager 1987 - 1995
Responsible for covert, uniform and special project teams of up to 40 staff and operational budgets of £4.0 million.
Key achievements included:-
• Drug Crime - Led teams focused on seizure of narcotics and major operations to reduce related street disorder. Worked
with housing partners to attract a new resident community over a 2 year period. Several commendations.
• VIP / Special Event Planning - Nominated to lead and manage the security and risk management planning for all major
ceremonial and VIP events scheduled for the Covent Garden, Leicester Square, Trafalgar Square, West End area. This
included the HM Queen’s 60th Birthday celebrations involving the entire Royal Family. Several Commendation Awards.
• Protection of Diplomats & Sensitive Sites - Led and managed range of projects to create contingency plans for specific
major economic, diplomatic and sensitive sites in the event of a terrorist attack. This involved sustained and detailed
research and analysis in conjunction with wide range of local and central government departments. Commendation Awards
• Youth Development - Successfully designed and implemented three international exploration projects in Canada, Lesotho
and Kenya as a result of secondment to The Duke of Edinburgh’s private office to establish and develop a new project to
engage 16 - 24 year old young people on the Gold level Award Scheme. This was achieved with sponsorship and support
from British Airways, Honda UK, BP, GlaxoSmithKline and Hillingdon Local Authority. The Project was summarised in the
Book “Cutting Edge - The story of an Expedition into the Wilderness” and MSc Dissertation.
PERSONAL
Radio & Reading: • London Social History
• World Politics, Financial & Cultural matters
Wilderness Travel & Survival: • Ray Mears - Arctic Survival Programme - 2010
• Led a team across Algonquin National Park - Canada
Other Interests: • Travel Book on my adventures “Travels thro’ my Land & Mind”