David Thomson
CEO & Founder, Suada
David Thomson grew up mixed-race in 1970s Britain, and that story is the one he tells on Life by Misadventure. In business he built a company with a 200-person call centre, and when Google's 2008 algorithm change silenced it overnight, the rebuild taught him how ordinary people really learn. Today he is CEO and founder of Suada, a learning retention platform used by DNV, one of the world's leading certification bodies. He was formerly one of only six people in the world certified to teach both of Dr Robert Cialdini's influence workshops, the Principles of Persuasion and the Pre-Suasion workshop, a certification he has since given up by choice.
20
June 21, 2026
Growing Up Mixed-Race in the 70s | David Thomson
David Thomson is the founder of Suada whose life was shaped by growing up mixed-race in 1970s Britain, poverty, violence at home, and the fight to build a different future. In this episode of Life by Misadventure, David talks about racism at school, joining the army at 16, becoming a boxing champion, discovering sales, and using persuasion, self-education and discipline to change the direction of his life. David shares how resilience can come from harsh beginnings, but also why young peopl...
Guest: David Thomson