James Baker

Pioneer
DISC Type : ISD

Advisor - Salonica Infinity Fund at Salonica Group

Greater Cheshire West and Chester Area, United Kingdom

Overview

James Baker is a pioneering leader in advanced materials, transitioning from a long career in aerospace at BAE Systems to CEO of Graphene@Manchester. He now runs Baker Graphene Ltd, a consultancy focused on commercialising graphene. A graduate of the University of Nottingham, he is a Chartered Engineer and Professor of Practice.

Colleagues and partners describe James as approachable, engaging, and pragmatic, with a forward-thinking mindset and "boundless enthusiasm. " His professional life is characterized by building collaborative ecosystems between academia and industry to bring disruptive technologies from the lab to the marketplace, fostering innovation and growth.

After leading the commercialisation of graphene for over a decade at the very university where it was first isolated, he is now channeling that expertise into his own specialized consultancy.

Personality Overview

Decisive But Friendly

Driven But Considerate

Dynamic But Sincere

They combine a unique set of diverse traits where they are fast and friendly but can slow down to be thorough when needed  They have the unique ability to win both love and respect from their team (or outsiders) If they are convinced, they can become very strong champions for your product

Topics They Care About

Graphene Commercialisation
His entire career for the last 12+ years has been dedicated to taking graphene from the lab to market, a topic he frequently discusses in posts and interviews.
Industry-Academia Collaboration
He consistently emphasizes building a collaborative "ecosystem" between universities and industry partners to accelerate innovation and develop supply chains for new materials.
Disruptive Technologies
He focuses on the application of advanced materials like graphene to create transformative products in sectors ranging from aerospace and automotive to energy and water sustainability.

Media Appearances

James has no verified media appearances

Work History

12-2025
Advisor - Salonica Infinity Fund at Salonica Group
11-2025
Non Executive Director at Graphite Earth
11-2025
Technical Advisory Board at HydroGraph Clean Power Inc.
11-2025
Founder and CEO at Baker Graphene Ltd
10-2017
CEO Graphene@Manchester at The University of Manchester

Education

1984 - 1987
Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) from University of Nottingham

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 8 Location : Greater Cheshire West and Chester Area, United Kingdom Job Level : Senior Designation : Advisor - Salonica Infinity Fund at Salonica Group
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Insights For Selling To James

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Mostly stick to your standard pitch and qualifying script, but add some stories or anecdotes to it
  • Ask them for a lunch or coffee once some rapport has been established
  • Keep your pitch focused on the impact but nurture the relationship too

DONT's

  • Don't lean very heavily into providing too much information, sharing whitepapers etc.
  • Don’t be very informal during the early interactions even if they are being so themselves
  • Avoid focusing only on the product or its ROI, keep building trust subtly

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with James is

  • Nothing less than a strong combination of proof of results, relationship and high levels of professionalism is effective with them.
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from James

  • They can say no while staying friendly, but can also be pursuaded to reconsider

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will James move?

  • They are generally fast movers and can take quick decisions
  • Can James take some risk or not?

  • They have high risk-appetite but can get ahead of themselves once in a while. Observe carefully

You And James

Personality Compatibility


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