Member, Advisory Council

David Simms is Chairman of the Board of the Opportunity International Network and is responsible for leading its global strategy and governance functions.  Opportunity’s mission is to empower people to work their way out of extreme poverty, transforming their lives, their children’s futures and their communities.  Today Opportunity serves over five million families across the developing world, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and Latin America with micro-loans, savings, insurance and education.

Mr. Simm's career spans executive roles in financial services, management consulting, government and nonprofits. Most recently, he served as a Partner with the Bridgespan Group, and led its Bridgestar initiative which is dedicated to recruiting and developing talented senior leaders for nonprofit organizations. Previously, David served as a senior executive vice president in financial services at MBNA America, CEO of the American Red Cross in the Washington/Baltimore Region, was a White House Fellow, and started his career as a management consultant at Bain & Company.

David holds a JD from Harvard Law School and an MBA with distinction from Harvard Business School. He earned a BS in Economics and a Bachelor of Applied Science from the University of Pennsylvania, graduating summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa.