David Tyler (businessman)


David Alan Tyler is a British business executive., the chairman of Hammerson, and the chairman of Domestic and General. He is a former chairman of Sainsbury's, Logica and a former finance director of GUS.

Personal background

Tyler was educated at Rendcomb College from 1965 to 1970. He then read economics at Trinity Hall, Cambridge from 1971 to 1974, earning a bachelor's degree in 1974 and a master's degree in 1977. He has two children, and lives in central London with his wife, Margaret Fingerhut, the concert pianist.

Professional background

In 1974, Tyler joined Unilever as a management trainee. He worked there at Birds Eye, Wall's Ice Cream, BOCM Silcock and at Unilever's London headquarters on corporate strategy and on its agribusiness activities. He also qualified with CIMA as a management accountant, later becoming a FCMA and also a member of the Association of Corporate Treasurers.
He then worked for National Westminster Bank as group financial controller and finance director of NatWest Investment Bank between 1986 and 1989, before being recruited as group finance director by Christie's, spending seven years there, which included two in New York City as president of Christie's American business. This was followed by ten years at GUS from 1997 to 2006 as group finance director. After the demerger of GUS, he entered into a plural career, becoming chairman of 3i Quoted Private Equity Plc, chairman of Logica, chairman of J. Sainsbury plc, chairman of Hammerson plc and chairman of Domestic and General. He has been a non-executive director of Burberry, Experian and Reckitt Benckiser.
Since 2012, Tyler has been chairman of Hampstead Theatre.