James Strickland is an internationally recognized expert in crisis leadership, protective security, and operational resilience, with more than 35 years of experience leading elite teams in some of the world’s most complex and high-pressure environments.
A retired senior officer with Canada’s elite Joint Task Force 2 (JTF2) and the Canadian Special Operations Forces Command (CANSOFCOM), James has led sensitive missions from Afghanistan to Bosnia, served as a strategic advisor and commander at NATO Special Operations HQ, and co-authored national crisis policies for the Government of Canada. James also served as a municipal Police Officer from 2000 to 2002 in Canada’s national capital city. He was asked to return to military service after the events of 9/11 which he did with the full support of his family.
Following his military career, James was recruited as Head of Global Security and Crisis Operations for Canopy Growth Corporation, then the largest legal cannabis producer in the world. There, he built and led global crisis response operations, created an enterprise-wide resilience program, and steered the company through the COVID-19 pandemic and major international compliance challenges.
Today, James serves as Senior Advisor at RCAS, where he coaches executives and organizations across sectors on crisis preparedness, leadership under pressure, and strategic risk management. His work spans the pharmaceutical, nuclear energy, and defense sectors, and he regularly leads immersive crisis simulations and leadership development workshops for international clients.
He is a founding member of the ASIS International Senior Security Executive Standards Committee, an invited author in Security Management Magazine, and a featured speaker at global forums including the AXA Crisis Symposium, WANO Senior Leadership Development Week and the Gaming Security Professionals of Canada Annual General Conference.
At the PSG Conference 2025, James will co-lead an interactive session on Extreme Crisis Leadership, drawing on decades of operational experience and offering practical, battle-tested insights into what it takes to lead when it matters most.
Contact: [email protected] | 613-620-2394
