Old Davideans' Association

St.David's College, LLandudno, LL30 1RD

David Head

Earlier this week Old Davidean David Head gave a most interesting presentation concerning his time at school and his life after St.David's. He studied at St David's until the lower sixth when he moved to Australia when his father was transferred there.

After completing his studies at the University in Melbourne David Head became involved in the corporate world and by the time he was 32 years of age he became CEO of Pepsi for Australasia trying to balance married life with travelling 70 flights a years and covering 400,000 km.

He worked alongside Michael Jackson, Tina Turner and Lionel Ritchie when hiring them to advertise the Pepsi brand and showed the adverts that they used on Australian TV to promote it.

After making his name at Pepsi and Cadbury/Schweppes he became headhunted in order to rescue underperforming companies and moved to Sydney and Auckland with his family before returning to Melbourne.

David told how life had never been easy when he was young but the School had given him the confidence that was needed to progress into the real business world. One of his basic messages was that when you come up to a brick wall in life you do not just stop and go back, rather you find a way around or over it. There is always a way!

His other message was that however important or well paid your job is, you realise that your family is even more important. When his twin daughters nearly died in childbirth it put his dismissal by Pepsi into perspective.

David finished his presentation by explaining the qualities required to succeed in business, and stayed behind to talk to those who wished to see him.

David has offered to run the Oz/NZ section of the ODA with the assistance of Jonathan Howell (1976). Already David and Margaret, his wife, have entertained the touring rugby team in 2004 and have also assisted 'gap' year students during their year off.

We look forward to welcoming him back when he is next in North Wales.

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