David Stanley Livingstone

Full Profile

David LivingstoneHolding a library card from the age of four, David is an avid reader and perpetual student being fascinated by ideas expressed in words. At one time fluent in German and French, and with some competence with other romance languages as well as Chinese (Putonghua & Cantonese dialects - simplified and traditional written forms) and limited Japanese and Bahasa, David has trod the world stage from the early sixties.

With a Scottish father being an engineer, motor cycles, cars and aeroplanes were a feature of his early life. An Irish mother (and Irish adventurer grandfather) provided the romantic genes. Unable to pursue an airforce fighter pilot's calling due to health issues, David pursued his second love and went to sea as a deckhand on a transoceanic trawler in the 1950's, later in the employ of the Hong Kong-based Royal Dutch shipping line Royal Interocean Lines as their youngest-ever Line Manager. David subsequently completed tertiary studies and the required sea service to become a certified Master Mariner, and later President of the Shipmasters Guild as well as serving as Secretary of Vaucluse Yacht Club.

A founding partner in the Hong Kong based Project Transport Holdings Limited, David also co-founded the air- and sea-freight business of Ace Protrans which was later sold to another Royal Dutch company Philips van Ommeren, now Vopak.

David's record with logistics and pre-computer manual systems development, together with further tertiary studies led to him joining the management consultancy Priera and so to his return to Australia to take up an appointment to the Australian Industry Development Corporation, and subsequent appointment as President of the Australian Computer Industry Association under the patronage of the Minister for Science & Technology (the late Hon.) Senator John Button.

The late 80's led to a return to the U.S. to take up the position of Managing Director and Executive Officer, Asia/Pacific of the global news publishing technology manufacturer System Integrators, Inc. (SII). Under the inspirational leadership of SII President William (Bill) Aaronson and working closely with Dr Robert L. (Bob) Lorber, they made the transition from predominately proprietary hardware manufacture to become a totally software-driven vendor achieving world ranking of No.1 by sales revenue and connected users.

Retirement in the 90's brought a literal sea-change with the acquisition of the 130-year-old Brisbane Water Ferries company and almost as ancient vessels. Four very large holes in the water into which a vast sum of money was poured with gay abandon. Volunteering now plays an important part of giving back in gratitude for a bountiful life: as well as proudly representing the Singapore-based global giving enterprise Buy1GIVE1 as Australia Ambassador, David is also serves as Administration Officer of the Marine Rescue NSW Terrigal Unit and Brigade Callout Officer of the Rural Fire Service Gosford Logistics Unit.

David lives near the water on a small acreage in Empire Bay on the Central Coast of NSW, is amazingly happily married to Jan, proud father of Sarah and Amy, father-in-law of Andrew and John, and besotted grandfather of Christopher James Marel, Chloe May Korbel, Thomas David Korbel, Nina Grace Korbel, Isabella Grace Abate, Rose Victoria Abate and Ruby May Abate. Not surprisingly, the family's leisure activities include sailing on Broken Bay and the Whitsunday Islands, golf, motorcyle cruising (yes, he's a member of Ulysses) and occasional tennis.

Personal ambition:

To live long enough to be as much an embarrassment to his grandchildren as he is to his daughters.

Personal drivers:

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