David Hope

“The greatest challenge leaders face isn’t technical — it’s behavioural.”

— David Hope

Helping Leaders Navigate Complexity, Change, and Uncertainty

Over the past four decades, I’ve worked with boards, founders, and leadership teams in organisations facing high levels of complexity, ambiguity, and rapid change. My career has taken me across industries and continents, from start-ups and boutique firms to some of the world’s largest companies and most challenging infrastructure projects.

What I’ve learned is simple: the biggest challenges leaders face aren’t technical — they’re behavioural. Success depends on how people think, adapt, collaborate, and make decisions in uncertainty. That’s why my work focuses on building resilience, cognitive flexibility, and the leadership capabilities that enable performance in complexity.

I help people ask better questions, see systems more clearly, and lead with confidence even when outcomes are uncertain.

Clients value my ability to create psychological safety, hold complexity safely, and help individuals and organisations navigate ambiguity without falling into false certainty.

What Shapes My Work

Drawing on deep experience across three domains:

Professional Services

Decades working within and alongside leading consultancies, advising on strategy, operations, and transformation.

Able to operate with diverse stakeholders, drive outcomes, and coach others to navigate complex, cross-functional environments.

Capital Projects

Extensive experience in high-stakes infrastructure and engineering environments, understanding the pressures of ambiguity, scrutiny, and evolving technical systems under performance demands.

Leadership

Empathetic mentor, inspirational facilitator, politically astute advisor. Known for blending creativity and analysis to support decision-making, build resilience, and enhance performance in complex systems.

Experience Highlights

  • Tonomus - MetaVerse business planning

  • NEOM - Data strategy for Urban Planning

  • HS2- Project Controls development and training

  • BAE Systems Submarines - Programme controls transformation

  • Rolls Royce Nuclear Propulsion - Information management strategy

  • Saudi Aramco - Systems selection for programme controls, asset information and contract administration.

  • UK Ministry of Defence - Major technology led transformation programme

  • Thames Tideway Tunnel - Business architecture

  • Network Rail - Enterprise asset management solution

  • Crossrail - Programme controls and technology transformation programme

  • Alcoa - European shared services centre

  • GE Capital - Global back office transformation and rapid acquisition integrations

What I Believe

  • Leadership today isn’t about being right — it’s about being ready

  • Culture and people make or break transformation

  • Psychological safety enables performance

  • Adaptability beats certainty in complexity

My Style

Clients describe me as thoughtful, calm, and quietly provocative. I blend creativity with analytical thinking, help teams make sense of ambiguity, and bring a performance mindset to complex challenges.

Let’s Start a Conversation

If you want to lead more effectively in complexity, I’d welcome a conversation.