David Selves

About David Selves

David Selves, “The Professor of Life” who draws on an incredibly broad experience of all walks of life, business, social, political, charitable and media, to inform, entertain, interview, chair, moderate and present. He is also a highly acclaimed charity auctioneer who has raised over £1million for good causes.

A 15 year old dyslectic school leaver who despite then being considered stupid and lazy, who believes he was born to work, born to meet the next challenge, David is an initiator who makes things happen. His energy and enthusiasm for life shine from his every word and action and almost whatever the topic or situation, he will have a story to tell! As Justin Glass, Trustee and Former Director, European-Atlantic Group, Founding Principal, the Institute of Reflection, Publisher and former major events promoter said, “For decades I have respected David Selves as a highly skilled organiser and more than savvy as an entrepreneur, broadcaster, interviewer and moderator of character, but speaking at THE NETWORK, his speech showed a rare skill mixing humour with serious international political issues in a nonpartisan manner. It held and engaged the audience for an hour.

“I have been to thousands of speeches over the decades, some of which have been entertaining, some deeply thought provoking, but never before to one that so skilfully and seamlessly achieved both.”

A highly experience small businessman and former national board member and regional chairman of the Small Business Bureau, he has experience across many sectors and disciplines. He is a Freeman of the Company of Entrepreneurs and a regular lecturer to business student at the CAPA Institute in London.

As an audience host and facilitator, David Bedford of the County Club, Guildford said, “After lunch David took to the floor and hosted and facilitated a 90 minute session on all sorts of topics. Some controversial, some heated, some amusing and all highly entertaining and enjoyable. Debate with David and members went on for a fair few hours in the bar after the main event with David not leaving until 6pm. He had stimulated thought.”

His interview style is more akin to Jimmy Young than Jeremy Paxman which results in people saying things they didn’t mean to, perhaps most famously when Henry Bolton, former leader of UKIP, said “I’ve made myself look stupid, haven’t I?”.

Whatever the scenario, David will have a story to tell and that back catalogue of experiences runs through the four political faction books that he has written, one of which, Life Goes on Forever, was in the top 40 and some of its prophesies made in the mid eighties have sadly come to pass.

As a charity auctioneer Phillipa Mack of the Save the Children Fund said, “What can I say about your performance as an auctioneer at Eastwater House, except sheer brilliance?”

A man at ease with himself in all situations, be it interviewing the American Ambassador, chairing an industry conference, raising money for good causes, hosting a discussion, comparing an event or delivering a speech for whatever reasons in venues large and small, palatial or modest – a consummate professional. He brings every event in which he is involved to life and inspires participation.

David Selves – Career Summary

Entrepreneur – Award Winning Businessman – Company Advisor – Non Executive Director – Risk and Equity Fund Raiser -Angel Investor – Broadcaster – Interviewer – Discussion and Event Chairman – After Lunch and Dinner Speaker – Charity Fund Raiser, having raised over £1m as a charity auctioneer – Event organiser – Serial Networker -Author.

Former Chamber of Commerce President – Founding Director Small Business Bureau, set up by David Trippier, Minster for Small Business under Margaret Thatcher – Former Regional Chairman Small Business Bureau – Freeman of the Company of Entrepreneurs – Former Councillor and Parliamentary Candidate – Deputy Chairman London Press Club – Development Ambassador – founder Selves Group

David Selves has been an entrepreneur for over 70 years and shows no sign of slowing up. He says “R” is for reinvention not retirement! His first organised business was climbing on a friend’s shoulders to get cigarettes out of a machine on the outside wall of a London greasy spoon cafe, breaking the packets up and selling the cigarettes one by one, for a profit, making his friend his first employee, who he paid in cigarettes! He was just short of his 5th birthday! He learnt a valuable lesson as they became taller and he lost customers!

When he left school at 15, he simply knew he wasn’t able to read and write properly, no-one had heard of dyslexia. He was constantly accused of being lazy and stupid; he knew he wasn’t lazy and by the time he talked his way though the 11 plus, interviewed because he got the lowest mark every recorded and the Headmaster of the all-boys school was curious to meet him, he knew he wasn’t stupid. Teaching himself to read using children’s rag books while locked in the loo on his daily 45-minute commute to work, he has subsequently enjoyed a career and life of excitement and fun while overcoming challenge after challenge, always with his cheeky young London smile! His commercial experiences are vast and broad, a lending banker, FTSE 100 Corporate Planner, start-up businessman, business Angel, equity raiser, company adviser and NED.

Equally at home in a greasy spoon cafe under the arches, the hustle and bustle of his native London or the peace and quiet of his adopted Dorset, the corridors of power, a London boozer, business settings large and small, sophisticated social events, TV and Radio studios, public platforms and even royal palaces. Once at a small reception at Clarence House for people who had done charitable work, to the astonishment of those around, he casually asked the then Duchess of Cornwall out to lunch! She went.

He has written four factional thrillers, one making the top forty, and is currently working with a friend from a successful sixties rock group, on a musical.

He has always been sector agnostic, successfully working in many during his career, and having stepped back from front line business management and ownership, he spends his time helping and advising young companies across the board, raising corporate finance, speaking, chairing, running events and raising money for good causes as a charity auctioneer.

The most exciting thing in his life is tomorrow, the next, but not last, and unknown challenge!