Dr David Anyu Gao is a Professor of Practice in the Faculty of Business and Economics at The University of Hong Kong. His teaching and research interests include strategy, leadership, innovation, and artificial intelligence.
Dr Gao’s work focuses on the practical challenges of building and leading organisations across global markets. His executive programmes combine academic insight with practical application, including the adoption of AI-enabled learning. He is particularly interested in how Chinese enterprises develop their overseas operations and markets, and how international companies can engage more effectively with China, whether for market expansion, operational development, or innovation. His work also examines how data, AI, and digital technologies are changing the way organisations compete, operate, and transform.
Dr Gao’s previous industry roles include senior positions in global data, analytics, and technology businesses. At Clarivate, he served as Chief Operating Officer of Technology and Vice President of Product, with responsibilities across technology operations, product development, and organisational transformation. Earlier in his career, he held programme and technology leadership roles at Thomson Reuters, delivering data and technology-enabled products and services for the financial services industry.
His professional experience spans financial services, life sciences, higher education, and research-related sectors. He has worked in the UK, Spain, the US, Singapore, Hong Kong, and mainland China, and has extensive experience establishing operations and working with customers, suppliers, and international teams across global markets. This background informs his teaching and executive education work, bringing both global and local perspectives to questions of strategy, innovation, leadership, and technology transformation.
Alongside his role at HKU, Dr Gao is an Honorary Fellow at Cambridge Judge Business School. In this capacity, he supports collaboration with innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystems in Hong Kong, the Greater Bay Area, and the wider Greater China region. Dr Gao also serves as an advisor to the Chongqing Hospital Association, where he advises its members on strategy, innovation, and operations.
Dr Gao holds an Executive MBA from the University of Cambridge, where his thesis focused on strategy and innovation, and a PhD in Electronic Engineering from the University of Bristol, where his doctoral research focused on data processing and transmission for video.