Robert G. James is a founder of Enterprise Asset Management, Inc. which is involved in a wide range of US and foreign investments including oil and real estate as well as equity positions in various ventures. James's career started at Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he was an assistant professor. He then joined the Central Intelligence Agency in Washington, DC. In 1959 James joined Mobil Oil Company dealing with pipeline, marine, and exploration/production planning. In 1963 he became President of Mobil Marine Transportation Company which included domestic and foreign fleets and was later made Vice President of Supply, Distribution and Traffic. James served as Assistant to the Deputy Ambassador to Vietnam in 1967. He was a member of the Council on Foreign Relations Discussion Group on NATO defense strategy. He is a member of the Middle East and North Africa Advisory Committee of Human Rights Watch. James retired from the US Naval Reserve as a Rear Admiral. His educational background includes an MBA from Harvard Business School and a doctorate from Harvard University. James and his wife Ardis were avid quilt collectors. They gave the lead donation on Quilt House, home of the International Quilt Museum, and more than 1,000 of their quilts to the museum.