After a career in financial services, David joined the Phoenix as marketing manager in 2008. He became general manager in 2011, shortly after the club was purchased by the Welnix group.
“They bought the club because they thought it was the right thing to do for the city, and for the sport in this country,” says David. “And comparing the club before and after their ownership is like chalk and cheese. We are very fortunate to have their support.”
This support has enabled the Phoenix to build a renowned youth development programme (Phoenix Academy) and launch a women’s team in 2021. “There is nothing quite like the quality of this academy programme anywhere else in Australia or New Zealand.”
They also created the community programme Football for All, which has grown from providing 20 players with the support to play football, to enable 2,000 players from all over Aotearoa New Zealand. “Football is a great assimilator,” says David. The club works with Capital Football to provide this programme, and it has been particularly embraced by those with refugee backgrounds.
“The Phoenix is philanthropy on a grand scale, so it made sense that we would lead the development of Football for All.”
As general manager, David is in control of the business side of running a football club. “My strategy is targeted to enable financial sustainability for the club, and allow success on the field.”
To achieve this strategy, David will run ideas past the club’s fan representative group, some of whom are from the Yellow Fever—Ngā wana kōwhai, the Phoenix’s supporter’s group. “What the Yellow Fever does is essential to what we do as a club, because it is what makes us different from other sports. The singing and the chanting and the rituals like taking your shirt off at 80-minutes if we are winning—this is all part of what makes it special.”
David has been a football fan his whole life. He and his brother played football as kids in Palmerston North, and while they “weren’t that good,” David trialled for a New Zealand team. After attending Wellington College, David had a gap year in the United Kingdom, before returning to study at Victoria University.
“I started with English Literature as I’ve always loved reading. I ended up doing my Honours in International Politics under Rod Alley, but in 1992 it was hard to get a job—so I returned and did a postgraduate Bachelor of Commerce and Administration with honours in business and public sector studies,” he says.
David says he is an avid reader, mainly non-fiction and the classics. “As well as my passion for reading, what university gave me is the ability to ask the right question, and work out how to get to the answer. It taught me to research and explore options in a structured way.”
As well as making connections at university that have lasted him through his career, David also credits a university education for giving him an awareness of how Māori culture differentiates us, something that he has built on organically over the past few years through the club’s relationship with Te Āti Awa. “We are very proud of our collaboration with the iwi, and our tīkanga Māori commitment.”
The Phoenix teams have been headquartered for two years now alongside the Hurricanes and the Lions at the New Zealand Campus of Innovation and Sport in Upper Hutt. David says it is hard to understate the impact that having such a top-class institute to train at has on the club.
“Everything is the best of the best—no scrimping or cutting corners. It is remarkable for our guys to be able to come and train at this institute, which is the best of its kind in Australasia.” Every room is set up to provide data on the athletes, which is used to inform how they improve their skills in the game.
The use of data in the marketing and business sense, and the football development sense, is something David enjoys. “Using data to form a strategy—this is how I use the research skills I learned at university.”
After considering what might drive larger crowds at games, the team made a strategic decision last year to offer all registered young footballers in the Wellington region free season passes. David says this is a long-term strategy to bring football lovers in as players or supporters from youth, while encouraging their families to attend with them.
An Arts degree may seem like an odd fit for a career in sports administration, but David says that when he hires into general roles he is looking for a well-rounded person, with a great cultural fit.
From English Literature to general manager of the Wellington Phoenix—why not?!