High performance is the relentless pursuit of excellence – through trust, data, learning, and humility.
Unpacking High Performance: From the Racetrack to the Boardroom
12 Nov 2025
10:00 -14:45
Time shown in local time
By invitation only
Cambridge Judge Business School
Trumpington St
Cambridge
CB2 1AG
United Kingdom
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Category: Executive Education events
On Wednesday 12 November, leaders from across global business joined a special event at Cambridge Judge Business School – Unpacking High Performance: From the Racetrack to the Boardroom – in which the connection between high performance in sport and business was explored by guests including:
- James Vowles
Team Principal of the Formula 1 Team Atlassian Williams Racing - Sir Ben Ainslie
The world’s most successful Olympic sailor with four Gold and one Silver medal and winner of the America’s Cup in 2013
Together, they explored what high performance truly means and exchanged many valuable perspectives on how it can be achieved and sustained. Facilitated by Professor Kishore Sengupta, the discussion unpacked what distinguishes genuine high performance from its common misconceptions, and why that distinction matters for sustainable success.
#CambridgeJudgeHighPerformance
Speakers examined how clear goals, shared intent, and disciplined alignment across teams drive peak achievement, even amid challenges or setbacks. They also reflected on the critical role of learning from both success and failure, and on how enduring cultures of collaboration underpin lasting excellence. Altogether, the sessions offered a thoughtful, experience-rich perspective on what it really takes to perform and keep performing at the highest level.
In group session, the day’s themes were translated into practical actions for organisations. Each group shared key insights and one concrete action to take forward, with reflections from James Vowles, Sir Ben Ainslie, and moderators Kishore Sengupta and Peter Williamson.
The session centred on a shared theme between Cambridge Judge Business School and Williams Racing: how to create and sustain high performance in organisations. It explored 4 key dimensions:
- high performance: what it is, and what it is not
- how goals and intent shape high performance
- viewing success and failure through the lens of high performance
- creating cultures for effective collaboration
Speakers
James Vowles
Team Principal, Atlassian Williams Racing
Just the third Team Principal in Atlassian Williams Racing’s 48-year history, James Vowles is leading the transformation of the team in pursuit of future Championship success. He joined Atlassian Williams Racing in 2023 from Mercedes, the latest step in a 24-year Formula 1 career in which James has been instrumental in securing 9 F1 Constructors’ Championships (with Brawn GP and Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team), 8 Drivers’ Championships and has overseen over 120 race victories for the likes of Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg, Jenson Button and Valtteri Bottas.
James spent 12 years at the Mercedes F1 team, the last 4 as Motorsport Strategy Director. Before that he fulfilled key engineering and strategy roles at Mercedes and, before joining the German marque, worked at its predecessor teams Brawn GP, Honda Racing and British American Racing.
He played a crucial role at Brawn, overseeing the race strategy that saw Jenson Button secure the 2009 Formula 1 World Championship Driver’s title and the team take the Constructors’ Championship. He stayed at the team’s Brackley base as it transitioned into Mercedes from the 2010 season playing an integral role in the team’s many successes.
Born in the UK, Vowles attended the International School of Geneva, graduating in 1997. He went on to the University of East Anglia, obtaining a degree in computer science with mathematics in 2000, followed by a master’s degree in Motorsport Engineering and Management from Cranfield University in 2001, receiving the Prodrive Award of Excellence.
Kishore Sengupta
Professor of Operations Management, Cambridge Judge Business School
Sir Ben Ainslie
Founder and CEO, Athena Sports Group
Sir Ben Ainslie is the founder and CEO of Athena Sports Group, the high-performance sports business that includes the Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team, the British America’s Cup Team ‘Athena Racing’ and the Athena Pathway development programme.
Known globally as the world’s most successful Olympic sailor (1996–2012, 4 x Gold and 1 x Silver) and America’s Cup winner (2013), Ben also became the first person to purchase a franchise from SailGP, with Athena Sports Group now owning 60% of the Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team. Ben is also a competitive racer and most recently led Britain in the 37th America’s Cup, achieving the best result of a British America’s Cup team in 90 years.
As Team Principal of the British America’s Cup Team, the challenging entity representing Royal Yacht Squadron Ltd and the Challenger of Record for the 38th America’s Cup, he was also instrumental in the creation of the historic America’s Cup Partnership, a groundbreaking collaboration that further elevates the sport’s global profile and legacy by establishing a joint governing structure for the competing teams.
Ben’s work has driven engineering innovation, inspired a generation of young people to pursue STEM careers and secured high levels of investment for his sport. His mantra is ‘never give up and never stop innovating’. He is proof of what can be achieved when you channel talent, instinct and determination to reach your goals.
Professor Gishan Dissanaike
Dean, Cambridge Judge Business School
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