James Sullivan is Managing Director, Head of Asia Pacific Equity Research at J.P. Morgan. He has held Asia-based roles in equity research (Credit Suisse) and hedge fund management (Citadel, Millennium, Oaktree) since 1999, before which he held strategy consulting, trade finance, and government relations roles at IBM in Washington, DC and New York City.

He holds a Master’s degree in International Relations (Dean’s List Academic Achievement Award) from Harvard University's Extension School, an MBA from Duke University's Fuqua School of Business, and a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science (Summa Cum Laude) from Marist College. James has held various fellowships serving as an External Associate for the Economic Conflict & Competition Research Group in the Defense Studies Department at King’s College London, a WSD-Handa Fellow at the Pacific Forum, and a Visiting Scholar at the Daniel K. Inouye Asia Pacific Center for Security Studies. He sits on Advisory Boards for the Fuqua School of Business and Duke Corporate Education. He also serves as Deputy Director of the International Affairs Directorate for the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary and holds multiple marine safety qualifications.

Thesis title

“Chinese economics and the prospect for war: An ontological security study.”

Research Questions:

1. How are changing economic conditions impacting China’s ontological security?
2. How are these reflected in changes in regime narratives, internally and externally?
3. Is there a level of economic performance that increases the risk of Chinese military activity?

Research interests

• Grey Zone activities in Asia
• Economic Policy
• Technology Policy
• Maritime Policy

Supervisor

Professor Greg Kennedy

Publications

Sullivan, James. “Active Measures: The Secret History of Disinformation and Political Warfare.” International Affairs 97, no. 1 (January 1, 2021): 244–45. https://doi.org/10.1093/ia/iiaa211.

“Controlling Message and Messenger: Singapore’s Ongoing Efforts to Bureaucratize Islam.” Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs 39, no. 4 (October 2, 2019): 513–21. https://doi.org/10.1080/13602004.2019.1688516.

“Cross-Domain Deterrence: Strategy in an Era of Complexity.” International Affairs 95, no. 4 (July 1, 2019): 937–39. https://doi.org/10.1093/ia/iiz089.

“Grey Zone Tactics as Catalysts for Balancing Coalitions: A Level of Analysis Approach.” Masters, Harvard University, 2022. https://dash.harvard.edu/handle/1/37371532.

“Politics by Numbers: Counting Plato’s Shadows.” Security Nexus 23–2022 (November 21, 2022). https://dkiapcss.edu/nexus_articles/politics-by-numbers-counting-platos-shadows-3/.

“Populism from the Cold War to Today: Case Studies and Quantification.” SSRN Scholarly Paper. Rochester, NY: Social Science Research Network, October 15, 2021. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3942996.

Review of Review of Computational Propaganda: Political Parties, Politicians and Political Manipulation on Social Media, by Samuel C. Wooley and Philip N. Howard. St Antony’s International Review 15, no. 1 (2019): 213–17.

“The Nature of Power: A Metcalfe’s Law National Security Strategy.” Security Nexus, Perspectives, 23, no. 2022 (2022). https://apcss.org/nexus_articles/the-nature-of-power-a-metcalfes-law-national-security-strategy/.

“The Telecommunication Industry in the Post-COVID-19 World - Report of the 7th ITU Economic Experts Roundtable.” International Telecommunications Union, 2021. https://www.itu.int/pub/D-PREF-EF.POST_COVID.

“The Ultimate Social Network: China’s Expansionary, Internationally Oriented United Front Strategies 1923-2020.” SSRN Scholarly Paper. Rochester, NY: Social Science Research Network, April 22, 2021. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3832387.

“Three Lessons from the Front: Economic Warfare in Russia / Ukraine,” May 15, 2023. https://irregularwarfarecenter.org/publications/perspectives/three-lessons-from-the-front-economic-warfare-in-russia-ukraine/. Sullivan, James, and Rajiv Batra.

“Politics by Numbers: Quantifying Populism.” J.P. Morgan, August 15, 2020. Sullivan, James, and Carol Li.

“PacNet #9 – The US Coast Guard: Provide Public Goods for a Free and Open Indo-Pacific,” January 31, 2023. https://pacforum.org/publication/pacnet-9-the-us-coast-guard-provide-public-goods-for-a-free-and-open-indo-pacific.

Sullivan, James R. “Politics by Numbers: Counting Plato’s Shadows.” Security Nexus 23–2022 (November 21, 2022). https://dkiapcss.edu/nexus_articles/politics-by-numbers-counting-platos-shadows-3/.