David is currently Associate Professor in Forest Economics at the New Zealand School of Forestry at University of Canterbury. His research interests include forestry markets and end uses, industry strategy, economics of forestry and complementary or competing land uses, and the economics of tree breeding. He teaches three undergraduate courses in Forest Economics and is course coordinator for Forest Products Marketing.
Prior to becoming an academic he held senior management roles at Bank of New Zealand and earlier worked for Rayonier New Zealand Ltd and Forest Research Ltd. David served on the New Zealand Institute of Forestry Council for 10 years, was President from 2018 to 2020 and is a Registered Member of the Institute. He is also a member of the New Zealand Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, and the New Zealand Shareholders’ Association. He served as a Trustee of the NZIF Foundation for 9 years and is a member of the Victoria Foundation Benefactors’ Circle. He is currently a member of the University of Canterbury Sustainability Programme Board, the Forestry and Wood Processing Workforce Council, the Training and Careers Committee of the NZ Forest Owners’ Association and the Woodside forest advisory committee. He is an Associate Editor for the New Zealand Journal of Forestry Science.