Having led the successful development of Caucasus Nature Fund (CNF) from its inception in 2008 until 2015, David has been involved with the development of PONT from the very beginning as an expert in Conservation Trust Funds. His innovations in developing CNF’s capital have contributed to the broader development of conservation finance.

Prior to his involvement with conservation, David was widely recognized as one of Europe’s leading financial lawyers. During his 28-year career at Sullivan & Cromwell LLP (S&C), David drove the expansion of his firm in Europe. His practice covered a broad range of business and financial law matters, with a focus on capital markets transactions of all kinds, including many of Europe’s most important privatizations, as well as debt capital markets transactions for countries and companies, including for the German development bank KfW.

David also serves as Senior Independent Director and Chair of the audit committee at BGEO Group (the holding company for the Republic of Georgia’s leading commercial bank) and Georgia Healthcare Group, both of which are publicly traded on the London Stock Exchange.

A citizen of the United States, David graduated from Yale College, received his law degree from UCLA, and was a Fulbright scholar at the University of Frankfurt.