David Reid's capabilities are based on his dual background as an academic and a former industry professional. His career before academia spanned decades in New Zealand and England as a director and producer in film, television, and advertising. He brings over 15 years of teaching experience from institutions including Northumbria University, Curtin University, and Charles Sturt University.

His academic specialisations include Advertising, & Digital Marketing, but his passion is Work-Integrated Learning (WIL). At Swinburne, where he has worked since 2014, he is the Major Discipline Coordinator for Advertising. For his work in this area, he received a 'Citation' for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning at the 2019 Australian Awards for University Teaching. He is the founder of the Advertising Capstone Challenge, and his current doctoral thesis focuses on 'WIL, advertising and authenticity building employability'. His work also includes curriculum design and serving as an external academic discipline specialist for course reviews.