It was impossible to meet David Malone and not realize, immediately, that you were in the presence of a very serious person. I attended his first Senior Management Committee meeting when he assumed the presidency of the International Development Research Centre in 2008, substituting for my boss. At the end of the meeting, after making a series of substantive, erudite interventions about the Centre, its context and its future, he indicated that he wanted to say a couple of words about his management style: “no surprises ”. Full stop; meeting adjourned. That’s leadership, and David walked the talk. He expected to know what he needed to know to lead an organization and he reciprocated with characteristic directness. You always knew where you stood, what was expected of you and what your role was in the wider whole.
What I did not fully realize until I left the Centre and connected with David more personally is that what you saw was what you got in his personal life as well. He actively cultivated his extraordinary network, cared deeply for family and friends and was always prepared to provide mentorship, advice and guidance – if asked, but never unsolicited. You always got a near instant reply if you reached out to him and he expected the same of you. He was incredibly generous – with his time, support and genuine friendship, especially to those younger than himself moving through careers and life.
In every aspect David led a purposeful and consequential life and he concluded it the way he lived it – decisively.
Trent Hoole
Bulletin 79
January 2026