After completing an MSc in Geophysics at Imperial College, London, in 1969, David was awarded his Ph.D. in Seismology from the Australian National University in 1974. Following two years post-doctoral research at the NORSAR seismic array, working on deep earth structure, David returned to Australia as Senior Research Fellow at the University of Sydney, working on the processing of shallow seismic exploration data. He joined the oil and gas industry in 1980, serving as Exploration Manager and later Managing Director of a number of independent oil and gas companies, before forming with colleagues three new companies developing both conventional and unconventional gas resources in Australia and South East Asia.

Since retiring from executive duties David has served on over twenty public company boards in industries spanning oil and gas, gold, helium, biotech, and litigation funding. He has authored and co-authored over 30 scientific  papers, and more recently focused on preparing educational notes on the futility of net zero dogma.