Dr. David Dunne joined the UVic Gustavson School of Business in 2014, bringing with him a fascination for human behaviour and creative problem solving. These twin passions have shaped his professional life.

His research explores how designers apply in-depth user research and creative thinking methods to “wicked problems,” critical, chronic problems in society and business with no clear start or end point, problems in the health care system for example.

David’s research can be read in business and design journals, including Harvard Business Review and Academy of Management Learning & Education. He has held appointments at design schools in the Netherlands, the US and Mexico.

From his early years in marketing with Unilever, London, David learned the value of questioning assumptions and deeply understanding customers. He took this knowledge into advertising, where he worked on global brands with Young & Rubicam, and to new product development at Lipton and Lever in Toronto, where he managed global brands such as Sunlight and Dove.

Following a mid-career PhD at the University of Toronto, he taught at Queen’s University, the Rotman School of Management in Toronto and Simon Fraser University. He has won many teaching awards, including the President’s Teaching Award, the highest award at the University of Toronto, and Canada’s most prestigious teaching award, the 3M National Teaching Fellowship. He co-founded the Rotman Teaching Effectiveness Centre.

David teaches design, strategy and marketing to students and executives worldwide. His recent executive teaching/consulting clients include AstraZeneca, Corus Entertainment, GlaxoSmithKline, Mt Sinai Hospital and Ontario Local Health Integration Networks (LHIN’s).

He co-founded a social innovation lab at Simon Fraser University. He travels frequently to Nepal, where he works with a medical school dedicated to improving rural health and promoting peace.