David Dewitt joined CIGI as vice president of programs in July 2011, and oversees the strategy and implementation of all the organization's work programs and research-related activities. Previously, he was associate vice-president of research, social sciences and humanities, professor of political science, and university professor at York University in Toronto.

David earned a B.A. at the University of British Columbia and an M.A. and Ph.D. from Stanford University, and served as director of York University's Centre for International and Security Studies from 1988 to 2006. He is author or contributing editor of numerous books, refereed articles and chapters in addition to commissioned papers on Canadian foreign, security, and defence policy, international and regional security and conflict management in Asia Pacific and the Middle East, arms control and proliferation, and human security.

In the early 1990s he co-directed the North Pacific Cooperative Security Dialogue, a Foreign Affairs-sponsored Track Two Diplomacy initiative, and has been involved in various track two initiatives on security in the Asia Pacific and in the Middle East.  He has led a number of policy focused research NGOs that have dealt with security and governance issues in these two regions.