David worked in venture capital and then in manufacturing industry,latterly as Finance Director of Field Group plc, before joining Oxfam in 1997 as Finance Director and a Deputy Chief Executive. In 2000 he was seconded for six months to head up Oxfam's operations in India.

In 2002 David joined Transparency International, the leading global anti-corruption organisation, as Chief Executive based in Berlin. Between 1991 and 2006, David was a non-executive director, and later Chair, of Traidcraft plc, and he is currently a non-executive director of Low Carbon Accelerator and of the fair trade organisation Shared Interest Society.