David Wales 

David Wales MSc is the Founder of SharedAim Ltd, an innovative and progressive international consultancy. With a focus on the human experience, he works across multiple sectors and with a diverse range of organisations including commercial companies, government departments and not for profit organisations. He is an experienced presenter, facilitator, and author. 

Within the crisis and disaster field, David advises on the citizen and volunteer perspective; risk communication; societal resilience; person-centred service design; and how to integrate professional and volunteer activity.

Prior to establishing SharedAim Ltd, David had a distinguished career in the fire and rescue service (FRS), where he instigated and led a pioneering study of human behaviour and motivation that continues to be influential on thinking and practice in the UK and internationally. David introduced the concept of Customer Experience to the UK FRS and was selected to take the lead as its first Customer Experience Manager.

As an operational fire officer, he managed a wide variety of emergencies including being in charge of the initial UK response to the first fire in the channel tunnel, for which he received a commendation. And as the fire investigation manager, he developed a pioneering combined service model and wrote the national guidance for fire investigation practice. 

He has worked extensively with academia and undertook the role of International Research Lead (voluntary role) for the National Fire Chiefs Council for two years. He completed his MSc in Risk, Crisis and Disaster Management at the University of Leicester, with a dissertation titled Unrecognised: The public role as first responders to dwelling fires. 

David is an Advisor to the Avoidable Deaths Network and is currently writing policy recommendations as part of the EU funded ENGAGE project.