David Cowan
I’m David Cowan, an Instructional Design and Training Solutions professional with 10+ years of experience designing DSAT-compliant training and building end-to-end learning programs for defence and aviation environments.
About
I’m David Cowan, an Instructional Design and Training Solutions professional with 10+ years of experience designing DSAT-compliant training and building end-to-end learning programs for defence and aviation environments. I lead and collaborate with SMEs, customers, and stakeholders to translate technical requirements into effective courseware, assessments, and training artefacts—always with safety, quality, and compliance at the centre of delivery.
I’m especially known for bringing modern technology to training, including AI and VR, to improve learning outcomes and reduce development effort. As a safety committee chair, I’ve helped drive safety engagement and reduce incidents, and I’ve supported governance and regulatory compliance through robust audit planning and monitoring. I enjoy using data-driven insights and hands-on solution design to deliver training that is both effective for learners and dependable for customers.
- 22 years' experience
- Joined October 2026
Industry experience
- Education
- Government
- Professional Services
- Transportation & Logistics
Work experience· 10 roles
Led the design and implementation of training solutions for major aviation projects, including the NMH bid, focused on military aviation. Interpreted customer requirements for the NMH bid and built strong relationships with customers (e.g., Airbus) to ensure training solutions met operational needs and exceeded expectations. Developed training methodologies using AI and VR and authored a paper on how Boeing can leverage AI to improve training solutions. Wrote Statements of Work for internal and external customers (e.g., Airbus and Boeing India) and contributed to initiatives such as the geodiversity initiative establishment with Boeing India. Supported requirements writing and key project activities through close customer collaboration.
Provided leadership to a team of 5 Instructional Designers through mentoring and coaching. Led teams to create DSAT-compliant courseware for C-17 programs, producing DSAT artefacts and supporting delivery center needs. Developed work breakdown structures (WBS), basis of estimates, and schedules for the C-17 program. Liaised with the MoD customer on a weekly basis and maintained strong working relationships with the pilot and maintainer SME community at the C-17 training delivery centre. Established templates and working processes to align the team to agreed standards, provided induction and ongoing training, and encouraged innovation. Adopted Lean principles and supported Lean improvement as a focal/ambassador, including support for design and development of training devices for maintainers.
Built DEEP’s training management system from scratch, including governance, documentation, and compliance frameworks. Chaired the safety committee, leading safety initiatives that improved safety engagement and reduced incidents. Designed and developed a submersible search and rescue course to support securing a training contract. Integrated AI tools across the development process and reduced training development time (measured via phase time tracking). Conducted customer journey mapping to identify where AI could help keep baseline costs low as the business scaled, and delivered projects to standard, on time, and with strong stakeholder engagement.
Education
Certifications and awards
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