David Saunders is a Senior Associate at The Asia Group, where he advises multinational companies on political, regulatory, and commercial developments across Southeast Asia. He works with clients across the energy, digital, telecommunications, technology, and financial services sectors.
At The Asia Group, David serves as the Southeast Asia practice’s primary energy specialist, advising clients on energy security, energy transition policy, and power sector developments. He has authored analysis on major regional energy risks, including the implications of closure of the Strait of Hormuz for Southeast Asian energy markets, and supports energy-related client and business development activities across the broader Indo-Pacific.
An experienced researcher and writer, David has published widely on geopolitics, state formation, territorial disputes, and environmental issues in Southeast Asia. His book, Chasing Archipelagic Dreams: The Expansion of Foreign Influence in Sabah amid the End of Empire (Cornell University Press, 2024), has been recognized as an important contribution to the study of Malaysia and Southeast Asia. Before joining The Asia Group, David served as a lecturer at The University of Hong Kong, where he designed and taught courses on Southeast Asian studies, decolonization, and modern Asia.
David earned a PhD from The University of Hong Kong and was a visiting researcher at King’s College London. He also holds an MLitt in Modern History from the University of St Andrews. Born and raised in Hong Kong, he speaks conversational Cantonese. Outside of work, he is an avid photographer focused on documenting Hong Kong’s urban and architectural heritage.