Bio

About James Magnus-Johnston

James is a professor and economist with research interests in energy, the environment, and the financial system. He teaches at Canadian Mennonite University in the departments of political studies and business.

James holds an MPhil in Economics from Cambridge University, where he studied the dynamics between energy and the debt-based money system. He's now building on that body of research in his PhD at McGill. He also writes about applied neuroscience and brain health, and periodically consults as a therapeutic coach in this area.
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James has first-hand experience evaluating the promise and the perils of forward-looking policy in applied business settings (now often termed "ESG") as well as public institutions. He also serves as the Director of the CMU Centre for Resilience, a coworking and experiential learning lab.

​He previously served as a Board Director for Assiniboine Credit Union, one of Canada's largest independent financial institutions. Prior to that, he served as a financial counsellor and business advisor, in public policy positions, and as an entrepreneur—co-founding a local food hub (The Fireweed Food Co-op), a coffee shop (Fools + Horses), a composting service (Compost Winnipeg), and a housing initiative (Prairie Rivers CoLiving). He has also founded or participated in a number of arts initiatives as a performer and board director (Polycoro, Antiphony, Proximus 5).

Bio in detail

Current

• Professor, Canadian Mennonite University / Director, CMU Centre for Resilience

• PhD researcher, McGill University

Background

• Board Director, Assiniboine Credit Union

• Co-founder, Fools + Horses Coffee

• Co-chair, Transition Winnipeg

• Board Director, Green Action Centre / Compost Winnipeg

• Financial Counselor and Estate Manager, LC Taylor, Trustee in Bankruptcy

• Policy and communications positions with lawmakers and advocacy organizations, including the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce

• Worked in the communications industry as an editor and translator in Asia

• Named one of Manitoba's "Future 40 Under 40" (2015)​

• Strategic Advisor, CAST Inc. (Creative Applications for Sustainable Technologies)

• Strategic Advisor, Manoverboard Design​

• Research Fellow, Centre for the Advancement of the Steady State Economy (CASSE)

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Education

• ​PhD (in progress), McGill University

• MPhil, Cambridge University

• BA in Political Studies (Hons), Theatre (Hons; Gold Medal), and Rhetoric & Communications, University of Winnipeg