Power, Purpose and Leading with Impact: In Conversation with David Thompson

When you’ve been with a global company for over a decade, people naturally assume you’ve got it all figured out. But David Thompson - known by colleagues as “DT” - is proof that great leadership isn’t about knowing everything. It’s about staying curious, adapting constantly, and remembering why you started.

DT is the Head of Mobile eXperience (MX) Training at Samsung Electronics UK - one of the world’s most recognisable tech giants and the fifth best brand globally. The MX division focuses on delivering innovative technologies and services across the mobile ecosystem. It encompasses the development, design and marketing of smartphones, tablets and wearables, and aims to create seamless and personalised experiences via SmartThings and Samsung Account. DT’s job is to make sure that Samsung’s MX products don’t just reach the market, but to work with partners to ensure these products are understood, remembered and appropriately championed by those selling them. He heads up an expansive learning ecosystem that serves twelve retail and channel partners, and supports over 300 learners across the UK and offshore markets. Now in his 13th year with the company, DT brings both institutional knowledge and a refreshingly human-centred approach to what is often a highly technical, process-driven field.

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“We’re in the business of transformation, not just transactions. Training is not a one-size-fits-all function anymore - it needs to flex, adapt, and meet people where they are.”

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DT’s entry into tech wasn’t conventional. As a child, he was obsessed with design and creativity, dreaming of one day becoming an architect. “I actually designed a new Arsenal stadium as part of my Design & Technology coursework,” he laughs. “Woodwork, sketching, bringing an idea to life… I loved all of that.” Still, his creative instincts continue to inform how he shapes Samsung’s training strategy in 2025. “I started out as a trainer, and have worked my way up to lead the function,” he shares. “That progression means I understand the challenges at every level of the learning journey - from delivery to design to stakeholder engagement.”

His current remit spans five core delivery methods: face-to-face sessions, e-learning via app, virtual instructor-led training, content-on-demand, and video learning. The complexity is real, but DT’s team have implemented clear systems and modular design thinking to ensure consistency and impact across all formats.

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"We have to spin many plates, and it's just making sure that those plates keep spinning the perfect way before you serve up that meal."

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Since the pandemic, DT has been acutely focused on reshaping Samsung’s training delivery to reflect shifting user behaviours. “The attention span of learners has fundamentally changed,” he notes. “We have to make content more digestible, more engaging, and more in line with how people already consume information.” In response, his team introduced auditory learning formats and have recently rolled out a micro-learning strategy which focuses on short, stackable content designed for agile consumption and long-term knowledge retention. “We’re building for how people will learn, not just how they’ve learned in the past,” he says. 

This evolution in learning design reflects not just a tactical shift, but a strategic realignment. It signals that Samsung is thinking of training not as a bolt-on support service, but as a central pillar in product education, partner enablement and consumer engagement. One of the defining challenges in DT’s role is managing the balance between scale and specificity. With a dozen external partners, each with their own commercial needs, customer journey and retail environment, DT has had to develop a framework that enables both breadth and depth. “There’s a universal layer to all of our training — foundational knowledge that applies across partners,” he explains. “But we also embed customisation and align content with each partner’s sales narrative or promotional strategy where necessary. That balance between standardisation and tailoring is key to ensuring relevance.”

But DT’s approach isn’t purely functional, it’s also deeply cultural. He recognises that effective training, particularly in a diverse and fast-evolving market like the UK, must speak to the why, not just the what. This is especially critical when launching technically advanced flagship products like the recent Galaxy Fold7, Flip7 and Flip7 FE - moments that carry both commercial weight and brand narrative significance.

Twice a year, his team produces the National Training Summit (NTS),an in-person, multi-day event designed to immerse staff in new product ecosystems, combining keynotes with hands-on demos and deep-dive sessions segmented by audience type. The event brings together field teams, in-store experts, trainers from India and beyond, building a shared baseline of understanding and enthusiasm.

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“It’s a lot of work but it’s the single most powerful way to align teams across markets and prepare them not just to sell, but to represent the product experience authentically.”

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Beyond training, DT is a respected advocate for equity and inclusion within Samsung. In 2021, amidst the global racial reckoning sparked by the murder of George Floyd a year prior, he launched Black Professionals at Samsung, the company’s first dedicated ERG (Employee Resource Group) for Black employees in the UK.

“At first, I was hesitant,” he reflects. “I wasn’t sure if I was ready to take that on. But I realised it wasn’t about me. It was about creating space for the next generation of Black leaders to feel seen, supported, and heard.”

Under his leadership, the ERG has grown in visibility and impact - from career-focused events to the company-wide Shine a Light series, which spotlighted Black employees across functions and geographies. One of DT’s proudest milestones? Being the first Black Samsung employee globally to present at Samsung Unpacked, the brand’s premier product launch event. “I’ve now done it twice,” he says with quiet pride. “But more importantly, I’ve helped create a pipeline for others like Steph [Chosen] have since stepped onto that stage, and we’re just getting started.”

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"The one thing I've always wanted to achieve in the business is to be on that stage [Unpacked], and I've done it twice. It's time to pass the baton on.”

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For DT, leadership isn’t just about strategy, it’s about sustainability. Diagnosed with high blood pressure in 2024, he embarked on a personal health transformation that has since shaped his approach to team management. “I’ve introduced 50-minute meetings instead of hour-long ones, to give people time to breathe, decompress, and reset,” he says. “I’ve encouraged walking meetings when possible, and I’m transparent with my team about the importance of wellbeing. You can’t lead from burnout.” His philosophy is grounded in trust, accountability, and humanity; values that, he believes, are more critical than ever in a hybrid, hyperconnected working world.

DT’s story at Samsung is one of empowerment, creative leadership, and systematic change. His impact is visible not only in learning KPIs and product rollouts, but in culture, inclusion, and community. In the corporate world of global tech, longevity is rare but leadership with heart is rarer. At a time where the tech industry is rethinking how it builds, trains, and retains talent, DT’s leadership is a timely and necessary reminder that the future of tech is not just built by code and hardware, but by people - learning, leading, and growing together. He is the human embodiment of what it takes to lead with power and impact and his legacy, both within MX and Black Professionals, serves as a testament to that. 

Get to know DT:

Born: London, UK

Ethnicity: Jamaican 🇯🇲

Curry goat or Oxtail? If white rice, curry goat 

Favourite Samsung product: S25 Ultra 

Go-to work fit: Shacket, black top and trousers 

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