James Cerven is a Regional Technology Officer (RTO) based at the U.S. Consulate General in Sydney, Australia. As an RTO, James is responsible for monitoring and supporting U.S. government engagement on critical and emerging technologies in Southeast Asia and Oceania.
Prior to his assignment in Sydney, James served as a financial economist with the Office of Investment Affairs in the Bureau of Economic Affairs (EB/OIA), where he focused on the Department’s participation on the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) and led investment screening policy outreach in Europe, the Middle East, and South Asia. James also served as an economic officer in Jakarta, Indonesia, where he covered the digital trade and intellectual property portfolios and led the Embassy’s cybersecurity working group. James is a career Foreign Service Officer who has also served in Islamabad, Guangzhou, and the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs.
Before joining the Foreign Service, James was a practicing attorney and policy advisor with the Department of Justice National Security Division, the National Counterterrorism Center, and the U.S. Court of International Trade. He holds a JD from the University of Michigan and a B.A. from the University of Idaho.
