Robert A. James is the chief diversity and strategic growth officer for CGT Staffing, a Pittsburgh-based staffing company with a national scope, responsible for the design and implementation of innovative strategies to drive company market share growth.  Previously, he served as vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion corporate strategies for Allegheny Health Network/Highmark Health, a $26 billion blended health organization that includes one of America's largest Blue Cross Blue Shield insurers and a growing regional hospital and physician network. Based in Pittsburgh, PA, Highmark Health's 42,000 employees serve millions of customers nationwide through the nonprofit organization's affiliated businesses, including Highmark Inc., Allegheny Health Network, HM Insurance Group, United Concordia Dental, and enGen.

Mr. James joined Highmark in 2015 as the Supplier Diversity Program Director and steadily grew the program to become the top award-winning supplier diversity programs in the Americas as recognized by industry peers through the Procurement Leaders Americas Supplier Diversity and Inclusion Award. He was also named a Top 30 Champions of Diversity by Diversity Plus Magazine in 2018 and was admitted to the Hall of Fame for the MDWBE Governmental Committee in 2023. He recently completed his term as a member of Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf's Advisory Council for Diversity, Inclusion, and Small Business Opportunities serving as a member of its Executive Committee. 

Prior to joining Allegheny Health Network and Highmark Health, Mr. James served as CEO of a diversity and inclusion consulting firm and as a legal advisor to the Office of Minority and Women Inclusion at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. A practicing lawyer for more than 20 years, he spent several years facilitating Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) financings nationally for capital projects through a U.S. Department of Education program.

Mr. James has a Master of Business and a Master of Health Administration from the University of Pittsburgh, a Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center and a Bachelor of Arts from Boston College. He is also a graduate of Highmark Health’s Higher Mark leadership development program sponsored by the Wharton School of Business and the inaugural class of Carnegie Mellon University Tepper School of Business/The Advanced Leadership Institute (TALI) Executive Leadership Academy.  Additionally, he holds a certificate from Northwestern University’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion program. 

Current Board affiliations include:

• Evans Bancorp, Inc. (NYSE American: EVBN), Audit and H.R. & Compensation Committees - Member
• National Association for Corporate Directors (Three Rivers Chapter), Future of Board Leadership Symposium – Co-Chair 2022 and 2023
• Pittsburgh Opera, DEI Committee - Chair
• Sewickley Academy, DEI Committee – Chair
•  Pittsburgh Mercy