David has tracked the rare metal sector since 2010 while as a Hitachi/Council on Foreign Relations Fellow at Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. His book, the award-winning, The Elements of Power (2015), is the first to examine the unique dynamics of the rare metal market and green technologies' impact.

He spent several years traveling throughout the critical mineral supply chain advising companies and speaking at industry events from Baotou and Beijing to Toronto and Tokyo. Earlier in his career, David managed investment and credit risk focusing on natural resources at Lehman Brothers and RBS/Sempra Commodities and oversaw trade and resource minerals programs at the Office of Management and Budget working with the Departments of Interior and State.

David’s writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Los Angeles Times. He has provided testimony to both the House of Representatives and the Senate and also has held research positions at the University of Tokyo and New America. Recently, he started the Asia-based advisory, Three-Legged Capital.