David joined DairyNZ as a water quality specialist in 2013. He then became manager of the environment team in 2015, a role he held until joining the executive team in March 2018.

Prior to DairyNZ, he spent seven years working as a water quality scientist and advisor for Deltares, an independent research institute for water resources management, based in the Netherlands and later Singapore. Through the Deltares Singapore Delft Water Alliance, David led and undertook a range of research and consultancy projects related to catchment, lake and coastal water quality management internationally.

David has a PhD in limnology and MSc in freshwater ecology from the University of Waikato, and has worked as a researcher on lake water quality for the University’s Centre for Ecology and Biodiversity Research.