After David graduated from Newcastle Polytechnic, having read Economics, he spent two years as a Policeman with Thames Valley Police based in Slough. He then became a recruitment consultant and eight years later, in 1996, co-founded Huntswood.
Initially a recruitment consultancy, Huntswood is now a specialist resourcing and consultancy firm focussed on Governance, Risk and Compliance, Customer Contact Services, Complaint Handling and Remediation Services.
Still owning Huntswood, in 2013 David co-founded his second business, Havisham. This business is a trading and investment group with interests in Travel, House Building, Fashion, Commercial and Residential property letting, Pubs and Restaurants, Recruitment, a Technology and Education Platform, three Financial Services apps for consumers and Documentary Film Making. The company trades across The United Kingdom as well as other Countries.
In an interview with The Sunday Times David said his business philosophy and success is based on:
- Providing strong leadership and consistent messages
- Making a business flexible and nimble to meet the demands of clients
- Ensuring an unrivalled track record of delivery to clients
- Remembering that as well as clients, delivery and profit, business is about people, their careers and families. This means that making work fun for everyone engaged in the business is important
- Being able to make hard decisions
David takes pride in the work of his charitable giving; especially his own ‘David Brownlow Charitable Foundation’. All of which concentrates on helping individuals and communities where there is an element of disadvantage.
As well as being a Trustee of DBCF, David is a Patron of The Royal Osteoporosis Society, a Patron of The Prince of Wales Hospice in Pontefract, a Patron of Dingley’s Promise, a Life Patron of The Landmark Trust, a Founding Patron of The Royal Albert Hall’s President’s Circle, a Patron of The Royal Drawing School, a Vice-President of Berkshire Community Foundation and an Ambassador for Thames Hospice.
In January 2018 David was appointed as a Deputy to The Lord Lieutenant of The Royal County of Berkshire.
In Her Majesty’s Birthday Honours’ List of 2018 HM The Queen appointed David a Commander of The Royal Victorian Order (CVO).
In the Resignation Honours’ List of The Rt Hon Theresa May MP, HM The Queen created David a Peer of the Realm and he sits in The House of Lords as Lord Brownlow of Shurlock Row in The Royal County of Berkshire
For many years David has given his commercial experience as a business consultant to a number of organisations without charge; including:
- February 2020 appointed as a Trustee of The Royal Albert Hall Trust
- October 2018 appointed as an Ambassador for The Royal Albert Hall’s 150th Anniversary, which occurs in 2021
- June 2017 to July 2021 Vice-Chairman of The Conservative Party responsible for Campaigning and Incumbency
- April 2013 to July 2017, as a Director of Community Capital Limited
- September 2016 to November 2017, as a Trustee of The Prince’s Regeneration Trust
- May 2013 to November 2017, initially as a Trustee and then as Chairman of The Prince’s Foundation for Building Community
- April 2013 to June 2017, as a Trustee at Dumfries House
- June 2008 to May 2012, initially as a Trustee and then as Chairman of The Foundation for Integrated Health.
In 2005 David was named the national ‘Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year’ in the Ernst & Young / Sunday Times / Coutts Awards.
In 2007 David was named ‘Best Chief Executive’ recognising his ‘outstanding service to compliance and regulation.’
Read David’s interview with The Business Magazine.