James Leigh

Regional Manager - Bay of Plenty

James brings more than 20 years of leadership experience across the education, community, disability, and aged care sectors. Throughout his career, he has been committed to creating environments where people feel valued, supported, and empowered to achieve their goals.

With a strong background in operational and people leadership, James has successfully guided teams through periods of growth, organisational change, and the evolving demands of the community services sector. He is passionate about bringing people together, building high-performing teams, and finding practical ways to enhance outcomes for the individuals, whānau, and communities they serve.

After spending three years working in Australia, James returned to Aotearoa to be closer to family.

He was drawn to ConneXu because of its commitment to partnership, choice, and supporting people to live life on their own terms. He believes effective leadership begins with strong relationships, genuine listening, understanding what matters most to people, and creating the conditions for them to thrive.

James is excited to work alongside the people ConneXu partners with, their whanau, and the wider ConneXu team across the Bay of Plenty. He is passionate about strengthening community connections and creating opportunities that enable people to pursue what is important to them.

For James, leadership is about more than achieving operational outcomes. It is about fostering a culture where people feel heard, experience a strong sense of belonging, and are encouraged to bring their best selves to their work. He is a strong advocate for continuous improvement and believes every decision should contribute to better experiences and outcomes for the people ConneXu supports.

Outside of work, James enjoys walking along the beach with his dog, Olly, exploring the Bay of Plenty, discovering new places, and spending quality time with family and friends.