David Blackburn is a purposeful senior management executive with almost 30 years’ experience in leading all aspects of Human Resources from a diverse career background including charities, financial services, IT, manufacturing, retail, and social housing. David is one of the most awarded HR professionals working in the UK today and recognised as a Most Influential HR Practitioner in the HR Magazine Most Influential List 2022, 2023 and 2024 where he was placed Number Two. He has previously been recognised as one of the top 100 HR Directors in the World in the HRD Global 100 and is both a Chartered Companion of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and the Chartered Management Institute (CMI): the highest level of professional recognition which is awarded by the Board’s of the CIPD and the CMI.
David is a graduate of the University of Aberdeen, the London Business School, and the Cambridge University Judge Business School; a Fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts, Manufactures and Commerce; the Institute of Leadership and Management and a Freemen of the Company of HR Professionals. A recognised thought leader within his profession he regularly contributes to articles, podcasts, roundtables and speaks at events across the UK and beyond.
David Blackburn has been the Investors in People Leader of the Year; MEMCOM Excellence Awards HR Leader of the Year, Personnel Today Awards HR Director of the Year, HRO Today EMEA HR Director of the Year, HR Brilliance Awards HR Professional of the Year and HR Excellence HR Team of the Year twice. He is also the inaugural Financial Times FT Adviser Diversity Champion of the Year and the recipient of a MEMCOM Excellence Life Time Achievement Award in recognition of his contribution to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.
In addition David is the Chair of the Equity, Diversity and Access Committee of the London Contemporary Dance School where he sits on the Board; a member of the Advisory Board of Brave Starts; a founding member of Nexus and a member of the Parliamentary Steering Committee of the UK's Better Hiring Institute.