LDC Top 50 2026
David Rice
Group CEO
Snap Analytics
David Rice was working in a call centre when he offered to fix his boss’s broken computer. “Her data team was looking for trainees, and my career started from there,” he says. Now he leads Snap Analytics, which builds data and AI platforms for organisations including Caffè Nero and Premier Foods.
The business has grown 140 per cent over the past year and employs 185 people across Bristol, Pune and Cape Town. David is passionate about helping to solve the UK’s young employment crisis. “We’ve grown our graduate scheme every year since 2021. Helping young people build great careers is one of the things that gets me out of bed in the morning.”
Helping young people build great careers is what gets me out of bed in the morning.”
Q&A
What shaped you as a leader?
I spent nine years in Bristol City’s academy as a goalkeeper and, alongside football, I loved building PCs. I never really fitted into one group at school; I got on with the geeks but I was sporty too. For want of a better phrase, I was a bit of a floater! Looking back, that’s probably helped me in business. I’m just as comfortable talking to technical teams as other CEOs.
How do you build a strong company culture?
I talk a lot about ‘crowd sourcing success’. I want everyone to contribute their ideas and feel like it’s their company. We back that up with a profit-share scheme: this year people received around 8 per cent of their salary. I also host Dave’s Monthly Snapshots, where I share what I’m seeing in the industry, where the business is heading and answer questions from the team. I’m a huge believer in flat hierarchies where everybody has a voice, but culture isn’t just built in meeting rooms. We have great quarterly social events, organised by our grads. I learn a lot about Snap and our team at the company socials!
What’s your biggest challenge as CEO?
As we grow, the hardest challenge is maintaining that culture. We’re constantly looking for ways to ensure people still feel like they are part of a small, agile start up even as we continue to grow. We’re also focused on bringing more women into data and AI through more inclusive ads, a growing female graduate intake and our diversity forum.
