His early years were consumed by rugby. One of 4 brothers who represented Scottish Schoolboys Rugby XV, he won 27 Scotland caps and represented the British Lions against New Zealand in 1983. Proud to be a member of the Scotland team who won the Grand Slam in 1984. Worst bit of advice he ever gave anyone was telling his twin brother Finlay that he was good enough to play for Scotland if only he could be bothered. Fin went on to take Jim's place in the Scotland team before captaining Scotland and the British Lions!
Jim has a BA and MBA from Heriot Watt and completed a rigorous strategic leadership course at Cambridge University. His varied career included Sales & Marketing roles with Pharmaceutical giant, Johnson and Johnson Inc, followed by Sales Director roles with both Royal Mail and Ernst & Young before taking an equity stake in an executive search practice in 1999. Jim Calder Associates was established in 2005 targeting the executive market.
Having graduated from St. Andrews University, Duncan moved to New York to work with global head hunters Korn Ferry International whilst also completing an International Business Diploma.
Upon returning from New York, joined Michael Page in Edinburgh and throughout his 4 year tenure managed a variety of recruitment sectors including Audit, Risk & Compliance, Financial Services and Legal, providing him with a diverse and deep understanding of various industry needs.
Duncan joined his father at Jim Calder Associates Ltd in April 2014 as a Director, with a particular focus on Legal and Accountancy positions across Professional Services, Industry and PE/VC backed businesses.
