David Phillips

Presenting the Construction Machinery Forecast, David Phillips is an economics graduate from London University. Phillips joined the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) in 1977 where he worked as a general industry analyst.  Following a two year assignment in Saudi Arabia, he rejoined the EIU in 1981 with the formation of its specialist Off-Highway Research Division, becoming General Manager.

In 1994 he led a Management Buy Out, and became the owner of the newly privatised Off-Highway Research.  This management consultancy specialises in the research and analysis of the international construction equipment industry, and is now the largest of its kind in the world.

Off-Highway Research has three research offices in London, Beijing and New Delhi, and representative offices in Tokyo and New York.  Over the last 35 years, research has been conducted in over 50 countries for more than 750 clients, who are drawn from the industry’s leading equipment manufacturers, component suppliers, distributors, financial institutions and government organisations.

In 2015 Off-Highway Research was sold to KHL, the international media group. David Phillips continued in his role as Managing Director until 2018, when he became Chairman of Off-Highway Research. In April 2018, he was inducted into the UK’s Construction Equipment Association’s Hall of Fame, the first person to have been awarded this honor.