Professional and Personal
David was born and brought up in Scotland. His father was a minister, who went on to be professor of theology at Aberdeen and Fuller Seminary in California. His mother was a teacher of music, and a homemaker. He has two sisters.
Educated at local schools in Bearsden and Aberdeen, he went on to study at the Queen’s College, Oxford, and won a scholarship from the North of Scotland Rotary Club to take an MBA at Stanford University.
He is married to Ursula Barnes, and has three grown up children.
CV and Career History
Details Employment
KPMG
Independent Non-Executive. Chair Public Interest Committee
2013-Date
HERMES FOCUS ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD (HFAM)
Co-Founder, Chair, (formerly CEO, Managing Director, Commercial Director)
Director of Hermes Group 2004-06
1999-2012
THE LABOUR PARTY
Assistant General Secretary/Director of Finance
1997-1999
DELOITTE/BRAXTON ASSOCIATES
Co-founder, Managing Director, Braxton Associates (Strategy Consultants)
1980-1997
McKINSEY & COMPANY:
Consultant/Associate
1979
3i:
Investment Controller
1977 – 1978
Education/Academic
UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE
Pembroke Visiting Professor in Finance
Fellow Judge Business School
2018-Date
LONDON BUSINESS SCHOOL
Executive Fellow (Finance)
2013 – 2017
CRANFIELD SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT
Visiting Professor of Strategic Management
1990 –1996
STANFORD BUSINESS SCHOOL, Stanford University, California
MBA, Rotary Club scholarship
1978 – 1980
STANFORD UNIVERSITY
MA, Economic Development
1978 – 1980
QUEENS COLLEGE, OXFORD UNIVERSITY
BA, Philosophy, Politics and Economics
1974 – 1977
Policy and Charitable
OXFAM
Trustee and Treasurer
2011 – 2017
NESTA
Trustee and Chair of Endowment Committee
2013-2019
UNITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME FINANCE INITIATIVE
Co-Chair (2013-2016), Chair, Investment Commission (2011-2012)
2011-2016
FINANCIAL REPORTING COUNCIL
Member, Sharman Inquiry on Going Concern
2011-2012
INTERNATIONAL CORPORATE GOVERNANCE NETWORK
Director
2010-2016
FUTURE OF BANKING COMMISSION
Member
2009-2010
ROYAL SOCIETY OF ARTS
Head of Tomorrow’s Investor Project
2008-Date
OXFORD ANALYTICA
Director
2006-2015
INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC POLICY RESEARCH (IPPR)
Trustee
2004 – date
OTHER
Co-operative Commission (1999-2001)
Literacy Task Force (1996-97)
PIRC, Non-Executive Director (1990-97)
Westminster City Council, 1986-90
Labour Finance and Industry Group, 1983-99
Cranfield Business School, Advisory Board, 2010-Date