James Gillespie is a Graduate Coach and tenured Associate Professor of Business & Strategy at Saint Mary’s College, where he also holds a dual appointment in Global Studies. He earned his PhD and MS in Management and Strategy from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, a JD from Harvard Law School, an MPA from Princeton University’s School of Public Policy, and a BS from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, with additional graduate coursework at Carnegie Mellon University and the RAND Graduate Institute.
James brings advising experience built across nearly three decades in U.S. higher education. As a Senior Advisor at Stanford University School of Medicine, he contributes to the Clinical Excellence Research Center and the Master of Science in Clinical Informatics Management program, and he co-founded and formerly served as CEO of the Center for Healthcare Innovation, a research and thought-leadership organization that has built a global network of more than 300 senior healthcare executives, clinicians, and industry leaders. At Saint Mary’s College he personally advises and mentors more than 75 students a year through the Entrepreneurship Club and the Women Business Leaders initiative, while engaging 300+ students annually across his business analytics, strategy, and international management courses. As an Affiliated Scholar at the University of Notre Dame, he has worked directly with 200+ founders and community participants on venture creation and economic mobility programs.
James has authored three books and more than 50 peer-reviewed and industry publications spanning healthcare strategy, organizational behavior, and AI/ML strategy in healthcare operations, giving him a research-driven approach to advising students pursuing competitive graduate programs in business, law, public policy, and healthcare management. His own path, from an undergraduate degree at MIT through a JD at Harvard, an MPA at Princeton, and ultimately a PhD at Northwestern’s Kellogg School, gives him firsthand insight into building a graduate application narrative that connects technical and professional experience to a clear academic story.
