David Johnstone is a Chartered Accountant who has lived in Bristol since 1965. He began his career in practice, ultimately as managing partner of the Bristol office of Thomson Mclintock (predecessor firm to KPMG). He then specialised in corporate finance, joining the boards of a number of companies as a non-executive director.

He set up Dartington & Co, on behalf of the Dartington Hall Trust, whose corporate finance and stock-broking business now trades as Rowan Dartington & Company.

He has been involved with property development since 1969 and has been a director of JT Group since 1979. He has specialist experience of funding for the public, voluntary and private sectors.

As a non-executive member of Avon Health Authority David Johnstone was closely involved in a number of development schemes, many of them public/private partnerships.

Able to draw on JT resources, David was a trustee and 'project champion' of the Spike Island Artists' Workshops and in conjunction with Bristol City Council as freeholder, was involved in their successful fund raising bid including a Lottery Application and helped see through the creation of a £1.5 million mixed use development on a starting capital of only £15,000.

He was financial advisor to the Kingsdown Community Society, formed to acquire and develop a strategic site from Bristol City Council under the control of the local community in Kingsdown, Bristol. This involved raising £250,000 loan capital from local residents.

David advised the late Jeremy Fry at a critical stage of the redevelopment process of the Theatre Royal in Bath and negotiated a solution, involving among others Bath City Council.

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