After qualifying as a Chartered Civil Engineer David has spent most of his career in the financial sector. He was a Vice Chairman of S.G.Warburg, the investment bank,where he handled many corporate finance transactions for some of the largest UK and International companies. He was also a Board member at KPMG, the accounting firm, and still serves on the Chairman’s Advisory Panel. Earlier, he worked for several years at 3i Group, the private equity firm. He has been Chairman of a number of a number of listed and other companies including London and Continental Railways, the builders of the Channel Tunnel Link, and a Non-Executive Director of several other companies including Premier Foods.

He is currently Deputy Chairman of Royal Holloway College and other charities with which he is involved include the London Mozart Players and Debra, the Epidermolysis Bullosa charity.