James Woolner

James Woolner

Chief of Staff, 44.01

James Woolner is a New Zealand engineer and climate technology commercialisation leader with over a decade of experience scaling emerging energy and decarbonisation technologies from early development to global deployment. He currently serves as Chief of Staff at 44.01, where he leads the international growth of a novel CO₂ storage technology enabling permanent carbon storage. James holds a master’s degree from the University of Cambridge, an engineering honours degree from the University of Auckland, and is a Chartered Engineer. James began his career in New Zealand’s deep-tech innovation ecosystem, completing his engineering thesis on photovoltaic manufacturing technologies at the University of Auckland before working with early-stage climate technology ventures, including LanzaTech and Avertana. These experiences shaped his belief that small, innovation-driven ecosystems can deliver outsized global impact, a perspective he has carried into an international career spanning Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific. Across roles in biofuels, sustainable aviation fuels, and carbon removal and storage, James has focused on translating technical innovation into commercially viable solutions by aligning industry, policy, and investment stakeholders across borders while strengthening connections between New Zealand’s innovation community and global energy systems.