David Shepheard

At a glance:

Joined Baringa in
2019

Works across
Energy and Utilities

Favourite book
Secrets of the Temple 

In detail:

On David’s mantle is a picture of his son when he was five years old. He’s at the beach, and you can make out a sailboat on the horizon. 15 years ago, the picture was the centre of David’s company’s advertising – how can we harness the power of winds, waves and sun to create a brighter future for our children? It was a new thought for the energy sector at the time. And now it’s one of the things that still drives him, making a greener, cleaner and more sustainable planet for the next generation. 

David entered the world of consulting just out of school. Electrical engineering degree in hand, he had two job offers on the table: one in engineering and the other in consulting. His dad, who had encouraged him to study engineering in the first place, assured him that he was far too creative for engineering. Management consulting was the life for him. And it has been for over 30 years. 

After eight years at Accenture, David realised that energy markets and deregulation was the future. So, he started his own consulting firm focusing on that space. He grew it from three people to 400 in the UK and the US in under three years. After selling both parts of the business, David was ready for the next challenge. In 2019, he joined Baringa to grow our energy business in the US. 

David takes his clients’ complex problems – such as the energy transition and decarbonisation of energy and utility networks – and breaks them down, making them simpler to solve. And his father’s assessment still rings true; his clients describe him as a ‘creative catalyst’. The one who puts smart people and good ideas together, then gives them the methods or framework to produce a good result. 

When he’s not at work, you can find David on the ski slopes in the winter, and the beach (or his garden) in the summer.