David Demarest serves as a Senior Advisor. David has enjoyed a distinguished career in communications and public affairs, serving in both the private and public sector. He has overseen sensitive communications in the midst of international crises, managed the global reputations of world-class companies and taught the nuts and bolts of political campaigns to candidates for public office.

David has served as Executive Vice President for Global Corporate Relations at Visa International, Executive Vice President and Director of Corporate Communications at Bank of America, White House Communications Director for former President George H.W. Bush, Communications Director in Vice President Bush’s 1988 Presidential Campaign, Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Public, Intergovernmental, and Private Sector Affairs, and Assistant Secretary of Labor for Public and Intergovernmental Affairs.

In 2005, David joined Stanford University as Vice President of Public Affairs, and retired in March 2019 after 14 years. In that role he led the university’s federal, state, and local government relations, along with its community affairs, and for a decade he oversaw university communications as well.

He continues to teach at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business. His course, “Political Communications: How Leaders Become Leaders,” is now in its 12th year. He is a frequent lecturer in Stanford’s Executive Education offerings, including a program called “Strategy Beyond Markets,” which he helped design in 2015. In addition, he is currently teaching a popular undergraduate course titled “Making Sense of Strategy,” which he designed in 2011.

David is a past chair of the Public Relations Seminar, past chair of the Public Affairs Council, and a member of the Arthur Page Society. He serves on the George Bush Presidential Library Advisory Council. He is a native of Glen Ridge, New Jersey, and an avid outdoorsman. He and his wife Dianne enjoy six lovely daughters in their blended family.