Robert A. James is the vice president for diversity, equity, and inclusion corporate strategies for Allegheny Health Network/Highmark Health, an $18 billion national, blended health organization that includes one of America's largest Blue Cross Blue Shield insurers and a growing regional hospital and physician network. Based in Pittsburgh, Highmark Health's 37,000 employees serve millions of customers nationwide through the nonprofit organization's affiliated businesses, including Highmark Inc., Allegheny Health Network, HM Insurance Group, United Concordia Dental, HM Health Solutions, and HM Home & Community Services.

James is responsible for advising and implementing a comprehensive diversity, equity, and inclusion strategy for Highmark Health's non-Allegheny Health Network affiliates.

James joined Highmark in 2015 as the Supplier Diversity Program director and steadily grew the program to become one of the top award-winning supplier diversity programs in the Americas, as recognized by industry peers through the Procurement Leaders Americas Supplier Diversity and Inclusion Award. He was also named a Top 30 Champions of Diversity by Diversity Plus Magazine.

Prior to joining Allegheny Health Network and Highmark Health, James served as CEO of a diversity and inclusion consulting firm and in an advisory role with the Office of Minority and Women Inclusion at the US Securities and Exchange Commission. A practicing lawyer for more than 20 years, he spent several years facilitating Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) financings nationally for capital projects through a US Department of Education program.

James was named a Top 30 Champions of Diversity by Diversity Plus Magazine in 2018. He is currently an active member of Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf's Advisory Council for Diversity, Inclusion, and Small Business Opportunities and serves as a member of its Executive Committee. James's current board affiliations include the Riverside Center for Innovation, Pittsburgh Opera, and Pittsburgh Child Guidance Foundation.

James has a master of business and a master of health administration from the University of Pittsburgh, a juris doctor from Georgetown University Law Center, and a bachelor of arts from Boston College. He is also a graduate of Highmark Health's Higher Mark leadership development program sponsored by the Wharton School of Business and the inaugural class of Carnegie Mellon University Tepper School of Business/The Advanced Leadership Institute (TALI) Executive Leadership Academy.