David Blackburn is one of the most awarded HR professionals working in the UK today, a recognised thought leader within his profession, he regularly contributes to articles, podcasts, roundtables and speaks at events across the UK and beyond. David is the Number Two Most Influential HR Practitioner in the HR Magazine Most Influential List 2024 where he has featured for the last three years and is both a Chartered Companion of the CIPD and the CMI. With almost 30 years’ experience in leading all aspects of human resources across multiple sectors including charities, financial services, IT, manufacturing, not-for-profit, retail, and social housing.

David was until recently the Interim Executive Director of People for Mencap – the UK’s third largest charity - and is the Managing Director of David R. Blackburn Consulting Limited, a firm that offers strategic and operational support to organisations undergoing business and cultural transformation.

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. He has been the Investors in People (IiP) Leader of the Year; MEMCOM Excellence Awards HR Leader of the Year, Personnel Today Awards HR Director of the Year, HRO Awards 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. David is a member of the Parliamentary Steering Committee of the Better Hiring Institute, a founding member of Nexus: a community of leading Chief People Officers, and a Trustee of both the London Contemporary Dance School and Positive East.

Connect with David

LinkedIn: David Blackburn