Speakers

David Adams is a graduate of the University of Exeter and holds an MBA from Cranfield University. An international career saw David work in fifty countries. He held senior HR positions in British, American and Swiss multinationals and is a specialist in organisation and people development. This included seven years with SGS in Geneva. On returning to the UK, he was International HR Director for Harsco Corporation with a worldwide team of sixty. David was a School Governor for 9 years. Later, David worked as an independent consultant helping companies improve organisational design and people performance. David joined the Worshipful Company of Plumbers (WCP) in 2011. He was Master from Oct 23 to Oct 24. He chaired the Membership and Social Committees, and has made contributions in recruitment, retention, diversity, and strategic goals; he drove the introduction of the Plumbers’ climate action plan. Today he is active in pan-livery initiatives through the Construction Liveries Group and the Livery Companies Skills Council. Alongside colleagues, David recently rolled out the Plumbing Professionals Development Scheme (PPDS) founded on close cooperation between WCP and CIPHE. PPDS aims to develop young plumbing professionals in their first decade of work through training, mentoring, and networking. David was closely involved in planning and implementing the PPDS humanitarian project in 2025 where four young PPDS plumbers went to Nepal to install a village water supply system. This opportunity was made possible ‘on the ground’ by the Dolma Foundation’s excellent team in Nepal, headed by Tim Gocher, a Plumbers’ Liveryman.