David Imison

Spear’s Review

Former KPMG management consultant David Imison joined Schillings in 2012 and became CEO in 2022. His tenure has been defined by a concerted effort to develop and broaden the firm’s offering to help its clients deal with ‘high-stakes opportunities and threats’ efficiently and effectively.

Founded as a law firm in 1984, Schillings still has one of the strongest reputation and privacy practices in the world. But today the business boasts a wider range of services. Having developed its capabilities in intelligence and investigations from 2012, the firm launched Schillings Communications in 2023. This new dimension of the business is headed up by George Pascoe-Watson and Victoria O’Byrne.

‘I wear two hats,’ he told Spear’s. ‘The first involves helping our largest clients handle their most pressing reputation, privacy and security threats and opportunities. The other entails transforming Schillings from a traditional law firm into a multidisciplinary, high stakes advisory business with an international client base.

‘We are action-oriented. We’re not about providing options or information. We are about providing advice on the course of action that has to be taken to resolve the issue or take advantage. That’s quite unusual.’

Read next: Why Schillings is branching out into strategic communications

Adviser Profile

A leading reputation and privacy adviser, for more than two decades David has counselled individuals and businesses operating in some of the world’s most challenging markets facing complex and often politically charged issues. Helping clients navigate high-stakes opportunities and threats, David makes a difference by finding solutions to seemingly intractable problems. 

David’s work often involves developing a roadmap to establish control and seize opportunities when faced with a high-pressure impasse – where parallel and competing interests from parties including the media, governments, competitors, and financial counterparties frequently collide. 

In order to do this, David leverages the complementary breadth and depth of multidisciplinary teams at Schillings, including lawyers, investigators, and communications and security experts. 

In his current capacity as CEO, David is responsible for the strategic growth of Schillings as it continues to expand its international presence, widen its multidisciplinary teams, and anticipate the future landscape of high-stakes opportunities and threats. 

A former ‘Big Four’ adviser, David has been recognised in the 2024 Spear’s Power List, as a leading figure in the Spear’s 500 ‘Best Reputation Managers Index’, and in the Citywealth Leaders List.