We’re pleased to present our latest featured profile, designed to introduce you to our member consultants, advisors, executive coaches, clients, partners, and other extraordinary people. These profiles go beyond the professional bio to provide a more personal glimpse and offer an opportunity for us to get to know each other better as people as we strive to create connections and build community. We’re pleased to feature Consultants Collective member and global expert in journalism, media, and emerging markets to companies, David A. Schlesinger.
David is the Founder & Managing Director at Tripod Advisors. He advises on running complex, dispersed global organizations with an emphasis on China and media. He was formerly Chairman of Thomson Reuters China, responsible for building relationships, providing thought leadership, and creating strategy for operations across interests in financial markets, legal and regulatory databases, scientific information, and journalism. He was appointed to that role after four years as global Editor-in-Chief of Reuters News, running all aspects of the 3,000-journalist strong international news service. Previously, he was Global Managing Editor, in charge of worldwide operations and news editing.
Why do you do what you do?
I love to explore new things with interesting people.
What is your favorite quote?
I don’t like the word “favorite,” but I’ve been thinking of this poem a lot recently:
In youth I knew nothing of the taste of sorrow
I liked to climb high towers
I liked to climb high towers
To conjure up a bit of sorrow to make new verse.
Now I know only too well the taste of sorrow
I start to speak yet pause
I start to speak yet pause
And say instead, “My, what a cool and lovely autumn.”
-辛棄疾 Xin Qiji (1140-1207)
What is one of your hobbies?
Learning languages.
What is your latest accomplishment?
Getting to a pretty advanced level of German after a standing start two years ago.
What would you say is your chief characteristic?
Restless curiosity.
Who is your favorite hero in fiction?
I identify with every book I read, then it passes out of my consciousness again, after, of course, leaving deep traces somewhere within.
What is the last book you read?
Who is your favorite painter or composer?
I’m an omnivorous observer of all kinds of art and an avid listener to jazz in particular.
What makes you happy?
New ideas, new adventures, food, solitude, love, peace.
