David Ernst, Director of Operations
Mr. Ernst has spent over four decades in the field of international brand and organizational management: creating, marketing, and producing events. Since 2017, he has been Director of Operations for GRUPPO ITALIANO (GI) assisting in broadening the GI brand in New York City and nationally. He co-produces the highly successful seminar/webinar series, Italian Table Talks, among other GI educational and promotional projects. Prior to 2017, he worked three years with Colangelo & Partners Public Relations as membership coordinator for GRI (predecessor to GI). As an independent consultant in New York City, Mr. Ernst also consults The Japanese Chamber of Commerce and industry of New York (JCCI) and The Leo House Catholic Guesthouse.
Mr. Ernst lived in Japan for twenty years (1976-1996), with seven of those years (1988-1996) working for Dentsu, Inc., the largest single advertising agency in the world. He was based in the Dentsu, Inc. Tokyo Headquarters as one of the agency’s first foreign account executives assigned to their highly-touted international service divisions servicing Fortune 500 clients such as Nestle, Coca-Cola, Philip Morris, United Airlines, Warner Bros., Japan Unilever, MacDonald’s, and American Express.
Mr. Ernst received his BA Degree in Speech Communications and an MA Degree in Education from California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo. He furthered his professional development with studies at Tokyo’s Sophia University as well as at Harvard University.