Dr. David J. Finch is the founder and Director of the CityXLab. Dr. Finch holds a Ph.D. in management and is an active educator, scholar, and practitioner. In addition to his role at the CityXLab, he holds numerous academic appointments, including as a Professor and Senior Fellow at Mount Royal University’s Institute for Community Prosperity and a Visiting Fellow at the Henley Business School at the University of Reading (UK). He has also taught at the Gordon S. Lang School of Business and Economics at the University of Guelph, the University of Calgary and Ohio University.

Dr. Finch specializes in labour market dynamics, focusing on the increasing demands for adaptive learning systems. He sits on the Government of Alberta’s Minister's Council for Higher Education and Skills. Before this, he was seconded to Calgary Economic Development, leading studies on labour market issues. Dr. Finch is one of the founders and board chair of the LearningCITY Collective, an independent, member-founded, and funded organization committed to transforming Calgary into a city that never stops learning.

Dr. Finch has authored over 50 scholarly articles in journals such as the Academy of Management Learning & Education, Higher Education, International Journal of Management Education, Education + Training, Journal of Business Ethics, and Industry and Higher Education. He is also the author of numerous books. Most recently, Dr. Finch led an audit of Calgary’s learning system, facilitated the development of Calgary’s Skills Development Framework, and co-authored a policy report on Canadian youth migration with the Canada West Foundation.

Before academia, Dr. Finch held progressively senior roles in product design, marketing and corporate strategy with Bell Canada, Rogers Communications, and Harris Corporation. He was also a founding partner at The T1 Agency, Canada’s premier sports and sponsorship marketing agency.

If you have questions or collaborating with the CityXLab, please contact Dr. Finch at dfinch@mtroyal.ca