Dave has been involved in teaching swimming and leisure management for over 25 years. Prior to becoming CEO of STA in 2016, he worked for ten years as the Operations, Swimming and Training Manager at one of the largest publicly run swim schools in the country, where he gained valuable, insightful front-line experience of the leisure industry. Dave also worked as an STA tutor, training many hundreds (if not thousands) of teachers, and gained multiple qualifications that support his role today at STA. In 2021, Dave was named one of the "Top 20 Dynamic CEOs" in the UK because of the work he did to support the aquatics industry through the pandemic. This leadership also led to STA being awarded ‘Education Provider of the Year’ by ukactive in 2022 and receiving ‘Innovation of the Year’ at the 2023 Federation of Awarding Bodies (FAB) Awards. Professionally and personally, swimming is Dave’s lifelong passion. In his spare time, he is a keen open water swimmer and successfully completed a Channel swim relay with Team STA. Dave has also recently been granted Chartered Manager Fellow status by CIMSPA, the professional development body for the UK’s sport and physical activity sector. Chartered status is the pinnacle of professional recognition awarded by CIMSPA and is a nationally recognised hallmark of a qualified professional who has demonstrated excellence and impact in their field, backed by their qualifications, experience, and expertise.