James Abbott is an author, teacher, developer, and consultant, and the president of Abbott Associates Inc., based in Greenville, South Carolina. He is on the faculty of the College of Engineering at the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona. James Abbott has made a career out of taking technical topics and explaining them so that “the rest of us” can understand. A professional engineer for more than 30 years, James learned early on that even the best methods are useless unless they are delivered in a fashion that allows their swift and effective implementation.

Inspired by the great Southern tradition of storytelling, James uses anecdotes about Grandma’s biscuits and a visit to the grocery store to explain scientific concepts like queuing theory and reporting metrics.

James isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty. In the course of his coaching and engineering he’s worked alongside electric engine assemblers, in a high-pressure customer care center, and on the third shift of a global IT help desk. It is his ability to learn a business—from the ground up—that has allowed James to develop methods and tools for everyone from the CEO to the custodial staff.

Though he has worked throughout the Western Hemisphere, James’s home is in Greenville, South Carolina. He is the author of ten books including his best selling, The Executive Guide to Call Center Metrics.