Since founding Generis, James Kelleher has witnessed the company’s transformation from a boutique consultancy into a global leader in content and data management. We caught up with James as he transitions from CEO to President & CCO, a move that signals a new chapter of innovation and leadership for him.

Generis has grown tremendously since you founded the company in 1997. Did you ever imagine it would become the powerhouse it is today?

Not at all! Of course, I had hopes, but Generis has exceeded my expectations in many ways. The real secret to our success has been hiring exceptional people who are curious, innovative, and deeply invested in customer feedback. That feedback has been a major driving force for us.

I believe my most important contribution has been creating an environment where talented individuals can thrive. A collegiate atmosphere fosters collaboration and growth, and it’s been a cornerstone of our culture.

I must give credit to my wife for her advice—she encouraged me to hire not just experienced professionals but also bright, driven graduates fresh out of university. Their thirst for knowledge and energy for growth have been extraordinary. Many have fast-tracked into senior positions, earning immense respect from colleagues and industry leaders alike—sometimes I can’t believe they’re still in their 20s!

After 24 years as CEO, you stepped up to the role of President. What inspired this decision?

As an entrepreneur, I’ve always been hands-on—some might say I like to “meddle” in everything from configuration and demos to product roadmaps. As CEO a lot of the mechanics of rapid growth (scaling teams, managing people, working out where to hire next or which new market to go into etc.) – these really get in the way of working closely with customers, guiding the product, coming up with new ideas and innovating (which is what I love most).

My son, Max, brings the right character and skills to lead the company growth as CEO; he’s focused on that growth. Meanwhile, I wanted to focus on the areas where I excel—enthusing customers about our products, motivating the team, and dreaming up new possibilities. The role of President means I can finally and confidently leave the helm to Max, while focusing entirely on our customer success, new partnerships, new technologies, working with the sales team etc.

What does your role as President entail? What initiatives are you prioritising?

Interestingly, many people assume my new title means I’ve retired—it’s quite the opposite! I’m as busy as ever, but lucky enough to be in charge of what I want, while delegating the rest (sorry Max). One of my first activities as President was to choose a new title to combine with President to reflect the areas I really wanted to lead. My pick has been President & CCO – Chief Client Officer. This highlights one of my key responsibilities—being a direct point of contact and escalation for clients, large and small.

My main focus is ensuring that our software delivers real value by saving customers time and money through major process improvements. Too many platforms in our space act as mere repositories—filing cabinets for content and data. I want CARA to stand out as a transformative tool that helps users navigate entire business processes seamlessly. This can be anything from our government customers who run citizen processes in CARA, to our Life Science customers who create and maintain life-saving medical treatments.

This includes exploring new ways to automate workflows, leverage AI, and present information dynamically—whether through maps, Gantt charts, or other innovative interfaces. For instance, while many vendors tout AI for minor time savings (like document classification), we’re pushing AI to achieve significant gains. From automating translations and workflows to generating draft documents, we aim to reduce processes that once took weeks to mere seconds. That’s when AI truly proves its worth.

How does this transition impact current and future customers?

Generis is unique because customers have direct access to senior management, including me. This isn’t just a platitude; it’s something we live by. Whether it’s a global powerhouse like AbbVie or Bayer, or specialised biotechs like Affimed or Cheplapharm, our customers know they can reach out and get a response.

I also believe work should be enjoyable—not just for our team, but for our customers. We strive to be more than just a corporate software vendor. We aim to be trusted partners who genuinely care about delivering excellence. I want our customers to enjoy working with us, and to see us as human beings trying to achieve excellence for them, rather than seeing us as a corporate software entity that is out to please shareholders on a quarterly basis and for whom customers are just a means to an end.

Generis has seen resounding success over the last few years with the continued development of the CARA and CARA Life Sciences Platforms. What do you see as the biggest opportunities on the horizon for the organisation?

I see this mainly in two areas.

First, we’ll continue strengthening and consolidating our position in Life Sciences. Currently, we have a footprint in 9 of the top 20 pharmaceutical companies, but there’s still immense potential to expand in the small and mid-sized biotech sector.

Second, we’re building on our early successes in other industries like financial services and government. Customers such as VISA, the Screen Actors Guild, and the State of North Carolina have shown the versatility of CARA. We’re also partnering with experts in these industries—what we call “Build Partners”—to create tailored configurations for specific business use cases.

No growth journey is without challenges. Do you foresee any hurdles for Generis?

The biggest challenge is the same one we have been dealing with since Day 1: as a technology company, how to keep on top of new developments and really lead the field in that regard, while balancing the need for stability for regulated industries.  Given the immense level of paperwork, validation and so on required in industries like the Life Sciences every time you upgrade a system, the tendency is to try to stay with a software version for as long as possible, but with the world of tech evolving so far (including security threats not just new capabilities!) we want to push customers to a faster cadence of upgrades. Our customers understand this thankfully, and work with us to achieve this balance.

With a new CEO, should customers expect shifts in Generis’ long-term strategy?

First word is ‘no’. Generis has always been proudly different. We once worked with an external agency who came to the conclusion tha our key strength, as quoted by one of our longest-serving staff members, is that “Generis is strange but in a fantastic way”.  I like to think of strange as unusual – avoiding being a faceless corporation. 

Our long-term vision is grounded in preserving our entrepreneurial spirit. Max, as CEO, envisions a structure of smaller, startup-like teams within the larger corporate framework, allowing us to scale while maintaining agility and innovation. It’s a vision that’s shared by our whole leadership team, who are fully aligned with this approach.

Generis is also a family company in the truest sense. My wife, the “power behind the throne,” continues to inspire great ideas, while Max and my other son, Jack, each bring their unique talents to ensure our entrepreneurial ethos thrives.

Are there any major strategic shifts or new focus areas ahead?

Internally, we need to continue enhancing our structures and processes to support growth. At Generis, no idea is above scrutiny—including my own. This collaborative spirit is central to how we operate.

Externally, we’re focused on scaling without losing our personal touch. We aim to hire more senior customer-facing leaders to maintain our direct connection with clients as we grow.

As for me, I’ll continue to lead and meddle with technical innovations and process improvements alongside our growing product teams. The overarching goal is simple: “Do the same, but more.” It’s worked for us so far, and we’re excited to scale this approach.

James Kelleher is one of the most recognised figures in the industry, continuing to shape Generis’ future in his role as President and Chief Client Officer. With a steadfast focus on customer success and innovation, Generis is poised to scale new heights under this dynamic leadership duo.