Board
Board service.
Independent Non-Executive Director and advisory board roles, anchored in the IoD Ireland Diploma in Company Direction (with Distinction). Thirty years inside growth-stage technology companies, eleven of them in Silicon Valley, across funding rounds, international expansion and exits. Governance judgement tested at scale: 180 Irish technology companies advised over ten years at Enterprise Ireland, 130-plus of them in Silicon Valley, with a 100% Investment Committee approval record. Every equity case presented was approved. Real decisions under real scrutiny. What I bring to a board is that same judgement, tested where the stakes are real and the margin for error is small. Available for a small number of new board roles each year.
Directorships and board roles
Governance and committee experience across formal directorships and chaired industry boards, building toward external independent non-executive mandates.
Director, MarketLink International (2012 to present). Governance of an independent board and strategy practice. Clients include Cubic Telecom, FeedHenry, TMF Group and A&L Goodbody. Outcome: €60m+ in client exits.
Co-Founder and Director, Tirna Partners, Silicon Valley and Canada (2012 to 2018). €13m+ in client contracts and €18m in VC funding facilitated.
Director, Irish Network Bay Area, Silicon Valley (2010 to 2016). Non-profit board role, a 500-member technology network.
Advisory Board Member, non-fiduciary, Trunova (2026 to present). AI, fraud detection and cryptographic verification.
Advisory Board Member, non-fiduciary, Sure Valley Ventures (2020 to 2022). Challenged founders across a 30-plus company AI, AR/VR, IoT and cybersecurity portfolio on strategy, governance and funding.
Non-profit board experience: Executive Committee Member, 137th Balally Scout Group (2019 to 2023), governance oversight of finance and compliance.
What I bring to a board.
Operating experience in international market entry, funding and M&A across more than four hundred companies. Governance judgement under real scrutiny. Direct experience advising boards and CEOs on AI: currently Senior Commercial Advisor and advisory board member at Trunova, counsel to its chief executive on AI, fraud detection and cryptographic verification, senior-level advisory across Huawei's Tier-1 carrier programmes, advisory oversight of a 30-plus company AI, AR/VR, IoT and cybersecurity portfolio at Sure Valley Ventures, and current CPD on the EU AI Act Article 4 director obligations, NIS2 Article 20, the Irish Corporate Governance Code 2024 and CSRD. Exit judgement built at FirstCapital, where deals during my tenure included acquisitions by Facebook, The Access Group, Vista Equity Partners and Royal Mail Group.
Committee and chairing experience.
Chaired Enterprise Ireland's North American Wireless Advisory Board, a fifteen-member senior US industry council that generated $20m-plus in contracts, including $10m with AT&T Wireless. The model was adopted across all Enterprise Ireland territories. Also chaired the Marketing Sub-Committee at the Dublin International Insurance Managers Association (DIMA), and served concurrently on the Taoiseach's Insurance Working Group, the Department of Finance Tax Certification Advisory Committee and the DIMA Executive Committee; authored national financial services regulatory and tax policy.
What I'm looking for and how to reach me.
Independent Non-Executive Director on the boards of growth-stage technology and financial services companies, in Ireland, the UK and the EU. Advisory board roles for venture-backed companies, and for VC and PE firms themselves. Open to family-business boards considering a transition. Direct enquiry from the chair, the company secretary, or a retained search firm is welcome. References available on request from former board colleagues and clients. Availability: up to two board days a week, a deliberate cap to give each mandate real attention. Board appointments and consulting engagements are treated as separate mandates. I do not take consulting work where it would compromise my independence as a director.
What board colleagues and clients say.
“David set up FirstCapital's Silicon Valley office, developing and managing relationships with key international corporates and investors. He opened many doors for us and for our clients, making a significant contribution to the success of deals.”
“David is a 'connector of dots' par excellence which in my view stems from a relentless work rate, ability to see the big picture, a quick mind and his genuine interest in what you are doing.”
“I have known David Smith for over 15 years, initially when David was with IDA Ireland and laterally as a senior Executive at Enterprise Ireland. He comes with my highest recommendation.”
Credentials
Institute of Directors Ireland: Diploma in Company Direction, with Distinction. Member, Institute of Directors. Stanford Graduate School of Business: Leadership for Growth (Audited).