David R. Blackburn is one of the most awarded HR professionals working in the UK today and a recognised thought leader within his profession. David is the Number Five Most Influential HR Practitioner in the HR Magazine Most Influential List 2025 where he has featured for the last four years. He is a Chartered Companion of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and the Chartered Management Institute (CMI).

David 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. His clients include Amnesty International UK, CIPD, English Heritage, Mencap, the Office for Environmental Protection, the Portal Trust, the Universities of Aberdeen, London Southbank and Oxford and the Bank of England where he is a Senior Independent Advisor for Skills and HR Evolution.

David is a graduate of the University of Aberdeen, the London Business School, and the Cambridge University Judge Business School. David has a lifelong passion for performance having been a performer himself before his professional HR career. He recognises the vital role dance plays in unlocking human potential, understanding, energy, and excitement.