David Ain, based in Toronto, focuses on C-suite and board succession, search, and assessment. He works extensively for large and midmarket Canadian enterprises, global companies, and private equity firms while leveraging his expertise across the retail, consumer, services, traditional and digital media, and hospitality sectors. David is an active member of Egon Zehnder’s Private Equity, Consumer, Services, Technology and CEO Succession practices, as well as the firm’s Family Business Advisory and its Financial Officers and Board Consulting practices.
I’m at my best when helping fast-paced clients make investment decisions in key people. Clients tell me that my main strengths are synthesis, creativity, and empathy.
Prior to joining Egon Zehnder in 2005, David was the VP of Strategy & Corporate Development at Indigo Books & Music, a leading Canadian retailer. Before that, he served as President of Skulogix, a private-equity-owned supply chain outsourcing firm, where he led a management buyout after serving as the VP of Business Development. David has also been involved in a number of digital startups. Earlier in his career, he worked for the Toronto office of the Boston Consulting Group with a particular focus on consumer goods and retail.
David earned a BA from Princeton University (Phi Beta Kappa) and an MBA from the Kellogg Graduate School of Business at Northwestern University (Beta Gamma Sigma). He is a producer and performer of music, theater, and film, and runs an independent record label on the side. David is devoted to his musician wife, his two sons, and his tight-knit extended family. He is also a board member of Pathways to Education, a nonprofit organization that has markedly improved secondary school graduation rates in Canada.
My Areas of Focus
What We Do
- CEO Search & Succession
- Executive Search
- Family Business Advisory
- Leadership Solutions
- Digital Transformation
- Executive Assessment
Functions
- Financial Officers
- Marketing Officers
- Supply Chain & Operations
- Board Effectiveness
- Board Director Hiring
- Board Consulting
- Board Directors & Chairs
