David Bearfield

David Bearfield is Director of Office of Human Resources (OHR) at the United Nations Development Programme, based in New York City.

He is currently leading the implementation of UNDP’s People Strategy, People for 2030, a transformative programme which aims to improve UNDP’s capacity and culture to deliver better development results. 

David previously served as the Director of the European Personnel Selection Office for the EU Institutions, where he was responsible for policy, strategy, and operations for selection and recruitment, as well as providing a range of learning and development services. Prior to this, David held many positions within the European Commission, including as a member of the Private Office of two Vice-Presidents, as Head of Internal Communication and Information Management. He began his career working in the Civil Service Fast Stream with the UK Permanent Representation to the EU and with the UK Department of Transport. Areas of expertise include the improvement and modernisation of complex, large-scale systems, processes, and procedures in HR. He is a global thought leader and advocate of best practice in the area of recruitment.