David Huntsman
David Huntsman
David G Huntsman is a Canadian scientist and researcher at BC Cancer. He holds the Chew Wei Professor of Gynecologic Oncology as well as Canada Research Chair (Tier 1) in Molecular and Genomic Pathology from UBC.
He has earned many accolades and recognitions for his work, particularly in Pathology, Cancer and Internal medicine.
Early Life and Education
David Huntsman is the son of billionaire businessman and philanthropist Jon Huntsman. After graduating high school, he attended the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania before serving an LDS mission in Taiwan.
He has also held several public positions, such as White House staff assistant in the Reagan Administration, deputy assistant secretary of commerce and United States ambassador to Singapore. With extensive work experience with Chinese companies and fluency in Standard Mandarin Chinese, he is an ideal ambassador for this region.
He is actively involved in his community as the president of Huntsman Family Holdings Company and has donated generously to several philanthropic organizations. A passionate fan of progressive rock, he’s attended concerts featuring bands such as Dream Theater and REO Speedwagon.
Professional Career
Huntsman is the founder and executive chairman of Huntsman Corporation, a worldwide manufacturer and marketer of chemicals. Additionally, he serves as president and chief operating officer for the Huntsman Foundation.
Huntsman has always taken calculated risks with his business decisions. One such example is when he acquired the chemical division of Texaco for less than $1 billion.
Furthermore, he is an internationally renowned scientist. His research on hereditary stomach cancer has yielded more than 340 papers.
Huntsman has kept his father’s fortune out of politics, though the two remain close. His dad has been an important fundraiser for Mitt Romney and Huntsman has collaborated on campaign activities alongside Jon Jr.
Achievements and Honors
David Huntsman has achieved much in his life. A successful businessman, he founded the Huntsman Cancer Institute with his fortune to aid those suffering from inherited forms of cancer.
He has earned numerous accolades for his work and contributions to society, including being named the Aubrey J. Tingle Prize recipient from the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research.
He is a recognized expert on ovarian cancer and the founder and Director of the OVCARE program. His research focuses on creating tissue-based biomarkers to predict or prognosticate for various ovarian cancer types, such as clear cell, endometrioid and granulosa cell tumours. Furthermore, he utilizes cutting-edge genomic technologies to discover key mutations responsible for these tumors.
Personal Life
David Huntsman is a business executive with the Huntsman Corporation, which manufactures and markets chemicals. Additionally, he serves on the board of trustees at Utah State University and serves as president/chief operating officer of the Huntsman Foundation.
He is a Mormon and was raised in California before moving with his family to Utah.
His early career saw him founding a chemical company that went on to become worth billions. Additionally, he has made numerous charitable contributions.
He is the founder of Huntsman Cancer Institute, a nonprofit dedicated to researching inherited forms of cancer. Additionally, he has generously given away money to political candidates and organizations.
Net Worth
Huntsman was raised in poverty in Idaho, yet that hasn’t stopped him from giving away much of his success. He tithed to the Mormon church and donated money to charity as his business prospered.
He transformed Huntsman Corp from a fast-food container supplier into America’s largest private chemical company at 31 years of age, becoming its president in 1994.
In 2004, Huntsman took his company public and personally earned $275 million. He sued Apollo Management when they failed to fulfill a buyout agreement.
He’s now the chairman of the Huntsman Cancer Institute and has made it his mission to fund a cure for cancer. Additionally, he runs a private equity company that donates profits to research projects as well as other philanthropic endeavors.