40 Under 40: James Field

A pattern begins to emerge when you look at many who made the 40 Under 40 list this year — most came from humble beginnings in the RV industry, often starting at the bottom and working their way through the ranks to leadership positions.

James Field of MDC Campers and Caravans is no exception. From his early 20s, he began managing RV workshops in Australia with a passion to instigate positive change, moving into a technical training role with a training institute specializing in the RV industry. From there, James joined the Caravan Industry Association of Australia as the chief technical officer. He was heavily involved in several industry and government technical committees, facilitating industry education sessions before starting with MDC as technical and compliance manager in 2021. He was recently promoted to general manager of commercial and product and is a member of the senior management team at MDC. He leads all model and product development, and marketing and technical operations for the company in both Australia and the United States. 

“In his time at MDC, James has been instrumental in not only building a comprehensive range of overlanding travel trailers and campers for the U.S. and Australian markets but also building and leading strong teams with a shared passion for a better RV industry,” one nominator wrote.

“James is a proactive leader in the industry, contributing his time and expertise to a number of industry boards and technical committees across Australia. He volunteers with a commitment to collaborating and advancing the RV industry.”

In his career at MDC, James has contributed to the continued growth of the company in both Australia and the U.S. He was a key part of MDC USA’s drive to become members of the RV Industry Association (RVIA) and the National Association of Trailer Manufacturers (NATM) compliance verification program, both of which were vital to the company’s dealer expansion strategy. 

In Australia, James has helped the company successfully navigate mandatory government regulatory changes covering gas, electrical and vehicular compliance requirements. MDC consistently tracks as one of the top five brands in the RV market in Australia. During his time at MDC, James has contributed to their RV range growing to more than 40 travel trailer and camper models sold in about 30 showrooms and dealerships across Australia and the U.S. 

James has received many awards and recognitions, including an RV Industry Future Leaders Award finalist, received Highly Commended for the RV Industry All-Rounder Award and was selected to participate in the Standards Australia’s NEXTgen Program and Roads Australia Fellowship Programs. 

In his spare time, James enjoys the outdoors and spending time with his family, often going off-grid for a weekend getaway. 

James’ advice for upcoming leaders in the RV space:

“Throughout my career in the RV industry, I’ve found that maintaining an open mind for continuous learning, being consistent, accountable and diligent are essential for success in any leadership role. Given the diverse and dynamic nature of the RV industry, I believe it’s crucial to actively appreciate the various sectors and their interconnections within the ‘RV ecosystem,’ including service providers, suppliers, campgrounds, industry associations, dealers and RV manufacturers/OEMs.”