

DAVID MAY
Executive Coach & Consultant
UNITED KINGDOM | EDINBURGH
David specialises in coaching existing and aspiring C-Suite executives and their teams. He creates an environment of trust, providing non-judgemental challenge and practical insights, helping leaders to transition into new roles and to overcome difficult situations, building confidence, resilience, clarity and purpose. He is a thinking partner to board level executives and non executive directors, supporting leaders to become the best versions of themselves and to lead effective teams.
David brings over 38 years of experience within Financial Services spanning executive leadership of strategic and operational teams across multiple markets and jurisdictions, together with trustee and board memberships. He spent the last 10 years of his corporate career on the NatWest (Royal Bank of Scotland) HR Board working directly with the Group CEO and Executive Committee and was closely involved in the successful turnaround changes. During this period, he was Director of Learning and Development, responsible for Leadership, Talent & Succession, Culture, partnering with Harvard to establish the RBS Business School. He created an internal coaching practice with 150 coaches, winning several Princess Royal Training awards. Prior to his Learning & Development role, he was the HR Director for the Services division which included technology and operations in India and the USA.
David’s Financial Services experience includes managerial roles in insolvency, retail & business banking, operations as well as technology and was Head of IT and Change for NatWest Insurance Services. He was also Head of Diversity for NatWest. As a Fellow of the Chartered Banker Institute, he was a board member (2015-2023) and Vice President & Vice Chair (2021-23).
David completed the Meyler Campbell Mastered business coaching programme in 2019 (accredited by EMCC and AoC), and became an accredited licensed business partner with Clarity4D Limited in March 2021. He has worked with senior faculty from leading business schools (Nitin Norhia, Amy Edmondson HBS, Lynda Gratton LBS, Kevin Kaiser Wharton /INSEAD) and thought leaders (Marshall Goldsmith, Bill Isaacs - Dialogos, Noel, Tichy).