David Kelly is a passionate talent acquisition leader with extensive experience in driving global recruitment strategies across industries such as Sports, Health, Food, Financial Services, Digital and Technology scopes and Consumer Goods. As the Director of Talent Acquisition at GMG, he focuses on building diverse, high-performing teams and aligning hiring efforts with business growth.
David’s career includes impactful roles at organizations like Etihad Airways, Dubai Tourism, and Bank of America Merrill Lynch, where he helped attract top talent and foster organizational success. With a degree in Sports and Exercise Science from the University of Essex and Chartered MCIPD accreditation, David combines strategic insight with a genuine passion for people, creating meaningful connections and delivering exceptional candidate experiences.
Outside of work, David is a keen sportsman with a big passion for skiing and golf.
What’s a professional achievement of yours from 2024 that you are proud of?
I helped coach and mentor three senior leaders into their first Global TA Leadership positions.
How has the RL Community/helped you this year?
Collaborating with a group of like-minded people with the same collective goal to better our industry has been so valuable as it challenges norms, causes intellectual debate and keeps us all informed and makes you feel like you’re not alone in your challenges.
What is your prediction for the TA industry for 2025?
A continued debate between human vs AI is going to stay. We will try to find a balance between automation and efficiency and ensuring the human elements like empathy are still carried through as part of hiring decisions that impact t the business.