David joined BTPA when he UK trains director for Keolis UK, majority owned by SNCF, overseeing any new rail business acquisitions. He has been working in the rail industry for 38 years, with a career that has taken him from platform to board room. He has held a number of senior posts in the industry, most notably from the onset of privatisation where he was managing director of First North Western and then Southern.
Following these roles David joined National Express in 2003 as divisional director north where he was Chairman of ScotRail, Central Trains, Midland Mainline and Maintrain, before moving on to become managing director of NX’s trains division. He then spent six months in Sweden in the role of interim CEO running the Stockholm metro, before joining Keolis in August 2011. He became the Institution of Railway Operators’ chairman on 1 January 2011.
David was appointed to BTPA’s membership on 1 September 2011. He left BTPA on 29 January 2013 to take up a new appointment at Iarnród Éireann, the national rail operator of Ireland.