David B. Wells, MBA ’98, MPP ’98, has focused the last 20+ years on helping consumer businesses grow as an operating exec, advisor, and board member.

Wells spent nearly 15 years at Netflix, with the last 8 as its CFO, departing in early 2019 and having served as VP of Financial Planning and Analysis prior. He was an integral part of the team that presided over Netflix’s transition to a self-produced content streaming company from the DVD company of its early days, its expansion to 190+ countries, raising $12B+ in capital, and growing to a $140B+ company along the way.

Wells now splits his time between the for-profit and nonprofit worlds. He is a current Corporate Director for three public companies:  ad tech leader The Trade Desk (Comp, AC Chair), direct-listed fintech Wise.com(Chair of BOD), and direct-to-consumer healthcare, HIMS (Lead Director, AC Chair).  In the nonprofit world, he works with a number of economic development organizations and serves on the Board of Innovations For Poverty Action, is an advisor/panelist with Endeavor Global, and is a member of the Harris Council for the University of Chicago Policy School and Jefferson Trust for the University of Virginia.

Wells holds a joint MBA/MPP from The University of Chicago and a Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce from the University of Virginia.

He loves spending time with his wife and 16 year old daughter doing anything outside.