Gavan James is responsible for the direction, coordination, management, and operations of Oakwood Corporate Housing (OCH), a division of Oakwood Worldwide operating in the United States and United Kingdom. OCH is currently the largest corporate housing operation in the world, with approximately 100 service offices and warehouse facilities worldwide. James also directs and manages Oakwood's Home Services division, which fully furnishes and equips each Oakwood residence with practical amenities such as linens and house wares for maximum comfort, and maintains it like it were a personal home.

As senior vice president and general manager, James' responsibilities include overseeing financial operations, managing more than 900 employees, developing the company's strategic growth plan, expanding into new markets, and facilitating major account management. Serving in his current role since 1995, James has supervised Oakwood's expansion into more than 20 new markets, and has overseen more than 500% growth of the division's sales volume, revenues, and profits.

James is also an active participant in the growth and development of corporate housing as a sophisticated industry with trade standards and practices.  He is a past President and founding board member of the Corporate Housing Providers Association (CHPA), the sole industry trade group for temporary housing providers. James was also named "person of the year" by CHPA in 2002.  He is a published writer in several real estate industry trade journals, such as Units and Corporate Choices.