After commencing his career at the Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh, David started working for Norfolk Capital Hotels. He then joined Gardner Merchant, now called Sodexo, as a chef manager, progressing to District Training Coordinator.

This training experience led him into the Hotel and Catering Training Company, working with Youth Training and unemployment projects. He also undertook a Leonardo da Vinci European project to help implement Vocational Qualifications in Scottish prisons!

David has been the Training Manager at the internationally renowned Gleneagles hotel. He developed his passion for people development, and this led him naturally to take on the role of Chief Executive of HIT Scotland.

In 2004 David was awarded the Industry Award for services to the hospitality industry in Scotland. Since working with HIT Scotland the Trust has awarded over 7000 scholarships for the emerging talent of the industry and 15,000 student bursaries. He took part in the successful Kilimanjaro challenge in 2011 and then again in 2022! He also organised The Gran Paradiso Challenge in Italy in 2014 and the Great Wall of China Challenge in 2017! In 2012 he was awarded an honorary degree in International Hospitality Management from Higher Institute of Education - Glion and he was honoured with the Education and Training “Catey” UK award the same year. Later in 2019 he organised another successful fundraising trek to Machu Picchu. He is a Fellow of various organisations, and was the past Visitor of the Maltmen of Glasgow.

David was awarded an MBE in the Queens Birthday Honours list 2020 for services to hospitality and tourism. In November 2022 he was given an Honorary Doctorate in Business Administration from Robert Gordon’s University, Aberdeen. Most recently, he has been awarded the Freedom of the City of London in recognition of services to hospitality and development.

What do you think are the greatest opportunities for the Scottish tourism, retail and hospitality industries in 2027?

The personality of the workforce
The natural beauty of Scotland
The authentic and safe experiences on offer
The history and heritage of the properties and venues
The weather: even in all seasons it can take your breath away
The liveliness of the night time venues and of course the festivals

What are you looking most forward to seeing, meeting, or attending at ScotHot?

Friends and colleagues within the industry
Visiting the suppliers and stands for new and innovative products
Marvelling at the various competitions
Learning from industry experts at the live stage sessions
Spending a few days in Glasgow with all the extra activities surrounding the event

Why do you think events like ScotHot are important to the industry?

ScotHot showcases the best of the industry
The industry needs to get together and share ideas and experiences
The suppliers need a recognised event to meet the end users
The next generation need the opportunity to mix and network amongst industry professionals
Education needs to play a strong role in the future training and development of the industry