James Whiteman
Beyond being the the Head of Client Communications & Content at Aviva Investors, I was born in Boston, Massachusetts with the most un-PC surname in the world. I now live in London and am constantly inspired by its diversity and rich culture. I am accidentally European in the sense that we are all accidental products of the parental postcode and citizenship lottery – born into random circumstance with no way to change the past but yet architects of our futures. No doubt a function of growing up with my mum and my sister, I have a deep empathetic streak and abhor any injustice or unfairness, however big or small. I admire quietly courageous leaders like Jean Monnet who, in stark contrast to the blustering and populist ones who hold sway today, achieve great and lasting things from behind the scenes. Having married into British-Pakistani culture, I am constantly awestruck by how much our similarities outweigh our differences: family, friends, food, ideas and laughter. The simple pleasures to counter a complex and, at times, infuriating life.
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