About David
Expertise
David Burns is a partner based in Bain & Company's Chicago office. He is a leader in the firm's Energy & Natural Resources practice, with a focus in Chemicals, as well as the firm's Customer Strategy & Marketing practice, where he is a leader in B2B Pricing.
Since joining Bain in 2006, David has advised a diverse range of clients on their biggest opportunities and challenges. He has focused much of his work on growth strategy, sales acceleration and pricing.
His pricing experience crosses several manufacturing sectors, including chemicals, oil & gas, building products, medical devices and technology hardware, among others.
Prior to Bain, David spent three years working at a privately-owned MRO supply company in a general management role, specializing in process improvement.
He earned an MBA from University of Michigan's Ross School of Business and graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with a double major in mechanical engineering and economics.
Recent Insights
- “How B2B Firms Can Price with Confidence as Inflation Rises,” HBR.org, July 2021, Article
- “Three Changes in Chemical Sales That Aren’t Changing Back,” Brief, February 2021
- “To Market, to Market, but Which Route?,” Snap Chart, August 2020
- “Understanding B2B Pricing Implications Through Covid-19,” Webinar, May 2020
- “Bringing Order to Discounts Gone Haywire,” Brief, May 2020