James L. Roche, Vice President, Aerospace & Defense Practice, CIMdata
James Roche is CIMdata’s Vice President, Aerospace & Defense Practice. In this role, he oversees the practice's growth and ensures that CIMdata continues to deliver world-class insights into the complex requirements of the aerospace and defense sectors. His role includes the administration of CIMdata’s Aerospace & Defense PLM Action Group (www.ad-pag.com).
James has over 40 years of experience in transforming and enabling IT for product development and manufacturing processes. He has been a strategic advisor and program manager for PLM programs across the United States, Europe, and Asia.
James was PLM Practice Manager at CSC Consulting and at A.T. Kearney. During that period, he led development and delivery of PLM offerings and consulting services for international clients in the aero, auto, consumer products, high-tech, and medical devices industries.
Previously with EDS, James served as chief architect for General Motors' worldwide engineering systems modernization and as head technical negotiator for strategic supplier contracts. He went on to manage EDS' business development and delivery resources for PLM, leading a team of over 100 professionals that provided PLM solutions to General Motors and other large manufacturers. Earlier, James was a Project Manager at the GM Technical Center for advanced manufacturing engineering programs in Computer-Integrated Manufacturing, Automotive Composites, and Metal Casting.
James holds a BS in Physics from Worcester Polytechnic Institute; as a post-graduate, he studied Mechanical Engineering and Materials Engineering at Wayne State University and the University of Rochester.