David Cant Keynote Speaker

David Cant is a renowned expert on navigating complex international markets, with a career that began in the late 1980s when he served as the USSR representative of a US trading company. Fluent in Russian, he rose to become CIS Director in Moscow, guiding operations through the dissolution of the USSR and a turbulent economic transition. Returning to the UK in the mid-1990s, he was seconded to the Department of Trade and Industry, advising British firms on entering Russia, and authored the business digest Russia: Market Approaches—which went into five editions.

In the ensuing years, David led the Russo-British Chamber of Commerce as Managing Director, opening its Moscow office, recruiting a new team, expanding events, and tripling turnover. After founding Albion (Overseas) Ltd in 1996, he devoted himself to helping UK businesses establish a low-cost foothold in Russia, leveraging Albion’s on-the-ground infrastructure. A frequent media commentator, David shaped market entry strategies and forged cross-border partnerships for numerous companies.

When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, David pivoted swiftly, securing his business and embracing new markets. His latest book, Unfinished Business, charts his extraordinary journey—from humorous encounters with royalty and oligarchs to confronting personal and professional upheaval. It also recounts his struggle with mental health issues, culminating in a life-changing decision to write his story and sail across the Atlantic. Part of the book’s proceeds support the mental health charity, SANE.