David Deacon

David is our Chief People Officer and brings an impressive amount of international knowledge and experience to the team. Having worked as a Human Resources professional for over 30 years, David has previously worked across a spectrum of roles, including HR Business Partner, Head of Talent, Chief Talent Officer and Head of Leadership. In addition, David is also a published author and had his first book, ‘The Self Determined Manager’, published in 2019.

As a thought-leader in the fields of learning and development, talent management and leadership development, David has influenced leaders and teams around the world and created better-managed companies as a result. Using his wealth of experience and prior to joining activpayroll, David established The Talent Office, a talent management consulting firm.

Having worked and lived in the United Kingdom, United States and Asia, David’s expertise spans a wide range of private sector organisations and has been at the heart of elevating corporate cultures and empowering effective teams in industries such as professional services, financial services, investment and commercial banking and energy.

Outside of work, David is a trustee for the charity Friends of the Elderly and an advisor to a start-up in graduate recruiting. David also tries to fit in a little jogging and cycling, and he loves spending time with his friends and family, especially his adult children, James and Emma.