David Turner

David Turner is a distinguished executive search leader with deep expertise in the food and agriculture sectors. He currently serves as an Executive Vice President in the Consumer Practice at Slayton Search Partners and as a Global Board Director for the Association of Executive Search and Leadership Consultants (AESC).

David specializes in strategic guidance for organizations navigating transformation in food and agriculture. His work emphasizes innovation, sustainability, and leadership alignment, helping companies secure the executive talent needed to address evolving market dynamics and capitalize on emerging opportunities in these critical industries.

David’s executive search career includes 14 years at Kincannon & Reed, a global firm specializing in food and agriculture. During his tenure, he advanced from Principal to President before being appointed Chairman of the Board in 2024. His work focused on identifying and placing transformational leaders who drove innovation and strategic growth across the food and agriculture value chain.

Before transitioning to executive search, David built substantial operational and consulting expertise. He led PricewaterhouseCoopers’ Canadian agribusiness practice, providing strategic advisory services to agriculture sector clients. Previously, he held multiple domestic and international leadership positions across various Cargill business units, gaining firsthand knowledge of global agricultural operations and supply chain management.

David earned a Bachelor of Science from Arizona State University and a Master of Business Administration from Thunderbird School of Global Management. He has continuously invested in professional development through prestigious executive education programs earning an Advanced Certificate in Executive Search and Leadership Consulting from Cornell University and a Leadership and Performance Coaching Certificate from ACT Leadership / Brown University School of Professional Studies (December 2024). Other programs he completed include Executive Development at The Wharton School of Business, Leading Professional Service Firms at Harvard Business School and Agribusiness Executive Education at Harvard Business School.

Fluent in Spanish and Portuguese, David brings an international dimension to his practice. He leverages this multilingual capability and cross-cultural competency to serve clients and candidates across the Americas and beyond, connecting talent and organizations on a global scale.