David helps finance professionals to use artificial intelligence effectively and to develop the human skills that AI will not replace.
A Fellow of both the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants and the Institute of Leadership, David moved into professional education in 2006 after a finance career that included senior positions at John Lewis and Axa as well as leadership roles in SMEs and start-ups.
In 2018, David founded Adept Training, an independent training company specialising in AI literacy, finance business partnering and leadership development. Alongside collaborations with AICPA & CIMA, ICAEW and ACCA, he has worked extensively across government and the public sector for clients including the UK Cabinet Office, the Ministry of Defence and the National Health Service. Commercial clients include BAE Systems, Bunzl, KP Snacks, Legal & General and Shell.
David has built a comprehensive portfolio of AI courses designed specifically for finance professionals, covering everything from first principles through to implementation, regulation and ethics. Each course is founded on real-life case studies and revised continually as the technology evolves.
The AI training sits alongside a second portfolio of courses that develop the skills AI is not going to replace. David’s report, People Will Be the Next Big Thing, argues that, as machines deliver more of the analysis, it falls to finance professionals to provide the judgement, communication and leadership that turn insight into action.
Known for his practical and highly interactive approach, David encourages delegates to explore new ideas and apply them to real workplace challenges so that they leave with actions they can implement immediately.
Check out David’s video on BLI’s YouTube Channel:
Testimonials for David Culley:
- “Thanks for the excellent session, it was just what we were looking for – the team was very positive about the content and your enthusiastic delivery, and have taken away plenty of actionable tools from the day.” (Maximising Your Impact as a Finance Professional, June 2025)
- “The way David presented the session — with such clarity, depth, and passion — made it impossible not to stay completely engaged for the entire duration. He really is the David Attenborough of AI!” (Responsible AI, March 2025)
- “David’s enthusiasm is perfect for this and his knowledge is spot on. I work with a number of people that are nervous and somewhat negative about the future of AI, so David’s enthusiastic but also factual approach is much appreciated.” (AI Demystified, September 2024)