David has been a professional systematist/taxonomist for over 30 years, based at the Natural History Museum, London. From 1997 until 2009 he was head of their Global Biodiversity Group (previously known as ‘Cryptogamic Botany Research’) but took the opportunity to return to full time research in 2010. His main research focus has been the systematics and biogeography of diatoms (Bacillariophyta) but he has also published widely on the theory and practice of systematics and currently finishing another book on that subject ("Cladistics and Taxonomy", Cambridge University Press, due November 2017). He was editor for the diatom papers in Phytotaxa (with Patrick Kociolek) from 201-2014 and recently (2016) became a member of the General Committee for Nomenclature (this committee plays a decisive role in controversial nomenclatural matters for all botanical groups). The latter has allowed him to get a broader perspective on nomenclatural matters which will have obvious impacts on the entries for the WoRMS diatom data (Diatombase). After attending the first Diatombase editorial board meeting (19th-22nd March 2017 in Prague), it was clear that this would be an extremely useful tool for many biologists and David would obviously like have greater involvement in its development. Gaining new experience from the General Committee for Nomenclature, along with the practical side of being a working taxonomist for some time, he believes he can offer a unique perspective to the development of the WoRMS enterprise.