David is the University Entrepreneur in Residence at ASU and he is the Chairman of SparkBeyond, an AI based decision support and hypothesis engine. Seeing that large parts of the higher education system are facing what amounts to an existential threat if they are unable to come into a new blended world, David originated the concept behind REMOTE in April of this year. Harnessing his experience of virtual conferences, he saw the potential for the virtual conference to deliver participating faculty a unique opportunity to model best practices and to develop a new network of connections to support their teaching. David first floated the idea in ASU on April 4th and, with the strong backing of colleagues has led the development of the event – and is the Executive Producer of the event. David has spent 20 years as the CEO of four global companies (two in media and two in technology) – leading them through cycles of innovation, business model evolution, geographic reorientation and cultural renewal. In his last role he was the CEO of McGraw Hill. Originally from Zimbabwe, David now lives in New York city.