David’s love affair with Russia started at the age of 18, after he decided to learn a language that “looked difficult”! After graduating from Bristol, David moved to Russia in the late 1980s. Working with a USA trading company, David went from USSR Representative to CIS Director, running the Russian office through some of the most turbulent times in Russia’s recent past. This included the coup of 1991, with the subsequent dissolution of the USSR, and the uneasy transition from a command to demand economy.
Having returned to the UK, David became the youngest ever “Export Promoter”, seconded to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), advising UK companies on business in Russia. It was at this time that David wrote the business digest “Russia: Market Approaches”, which became a best-seller in its field. David has also written “Hints for Exporters Visiting Russia” and “10 Mistakes Exporters to Russia make.”
There followed a period of seven years as Director of the Russo-British Chamber of Commerce (RBCC) in London. During this time, he opened their Moscow office, built a new team, expanded the Chamber’s range of activities and events, and trebled their turnover.
David founded Albion (Overseas) Ltd in 1996, to work with Russia.
A fluent Russian speaker, David is a frequent business traveller to Russia, and commentator in the media. He is a keen sailor, and his next challenge is to cross the Atlantic in a 29-foot yacht, leaving in November, 2021.
