
Jim Butcher, Founder and Managing Partner
As a strategist, scenario planner, and leadership advisor, Jim Butcher has over 25 years of experience engaging decision-makers and leaders with new insights to make better decisions leading to exceptional results — today and tomorrow. He uses advanced strategy and scenario planning approaches, innovation, and customized engagement and leadership models.
Previously, Jim served as a Managing Director at Morgan Stanley in senior leadership roles and as a Senior Partner with the Global Business Network (GBN), where he worked with and learned from the original scenario planning masters Pierre Wack and Napier Collyns. In both roles, he developed deep expertise in strategic and scenario planning across all industry sectors, innovative approaches, sustainability, leadership and social impact investing. His early career with the Ford Foundation, Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and leading a Clinton Administration White House initiative to create the first sustainable U.S. National Energy Plan provided a broader foundation in cross-sector strategies, public-private partnerships, and more effectively addressing complex, system leadership issues that cross traditional institutional boundaries.
His most recent work includes helping corporate clients with developing new strategies in automotive, sustainability, food and agriculture, energy (both oil & gas and renewables) and healthcare. Across all sectors, rapid digital acceleration and technology evolution is a major driver today. In healthcare, for example, clients are perplexed at how the U.S. healthcare system may evolve in coming years. For autos, the current industry structure is in flux and will be very different in coming years. Around complex problems such as climate change and food supplies, he has worked with governments and collaborative groups around new innovative approaches for climate resilience. With impact and sustainable investing, he has been working with funders and advisors on new innovative high impact approaches. And, with new start-up companies, whether in agriculture, water, energy, or biotech, he has been an advisor for capital raising, growth, management teams, leadership and new financing from angel investors, private equity, venture capital and impact wealth advisors.
A compelling speaker and world-class facilitator, Jim shares his experience and expertise in a variety of settings, including writing for publications like Harvard Business Review (HBR), a guest lecturer at leading universities and business schools, including University of Oxford (Said Business School), Yale, Stanford, and Cornell Universities, and speaking at many industry and client conferences.
Jim received his M.A. and B.A. degrees in Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE), with advanced economics focus, at Oxford University, England, where he was a Rhodes Scholar. His undergraduate degree is in civil and environmental engineering from Utah State University. He has served on various advisory panels, including the National Academy of Sciences, American Water Foundation, and the Leadership Council of the Corporate Eco-Forum (CEF).