David McClymont

David McClymont ups the tempo for Palm Beach Symphony—uniting the community through classical music, bringing the orchestra to national acclaim and doing all he can to ensure his passion for the arts continues on with future generations.

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Whether competing in the 140-mile Ironman Florida Triathlon to raise awareness of the importance of the performing arts or utilizing his skills as a Certified Lean Six Sigma Green Belt executive, David McClymont, Chief Executive Officer of the non-profit Palm Beach Symphony, combines bold innovation with strategic business insight that results in transformational change.

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With a solid reputation for helping guide small-to-medium size businesses in creating cultures that provide high levels of productivity and profitability, David took the helm at the Palm Beach Symphony in 2014 and erased its existing deficit in only one year. He then proceeded to deliver a yearly positive balance sheet and a 100% increase in revenue in five years. As subscriptions for the 2019-2020 season increased by 52% from the previous year, he created the infrastructure to enable the Symphony to move from smaller venues to present its next full season in the 2,195-seat Alexander W. Dreyfoos, Jr. Concert Hall at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts. In a 2019 landmark moment in its 45-year-old evolution, David gained international acclaim for the Symphony by appointing Gerard Schwarz as music director. The first American to be named Conductor of the Year by Musical America, Gerard has nine Emmy® Awards, 14 GRAMMY® nominations and more than 350 recordings to his credit.

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Amid the overcrowded cultural calendars of the Palm Beach social season, David’s personal charisma, effective networking and ability to marshal donor support to better serve the community have resulted in “must-see” events. During his tenure, David reimagined and restructured the Symphony’s annual holiday fundraiser into one of the Palm Beach season’s most anticipated social events that raised nearly 150% more in 2020 than the prior year. That was surpassed by the Symphony’s long-established annual black-tie gala, which under David’s leadership, raised nearly one million dollars in 2020, nearly 40 times more than five years previously. In addition, he has forged alliances with corporate sponsors with such premier brands as PNC Wealth Management, Findlay Galleries, The Colony Hotel, Net Jets, Gucci and Lamborghini.

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David understands that show business is a data-driven business. That data drives decisions, and success is realized by building consensus among all stakeholders. He continues to grow the business of the Palm Beach Symphony by streamlining operations, diversifying programming, increasing opportunities for young people and making the symphony experience accessible for all. Positively impacting 50,000 students in the past five years, David introduced and expanded initiatives outside the concert halls resulting in the Symphony’s receipt of the 2020 Muse Award for Outstanding Community Engagement bestowed by the Cultural Council for Palm Beach County.

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David astutely navigated a successful pivot during the COVID-19 pandemic that prohibited mass gatherings during which he championed the creation of engaging and educational online content which resulted in a 127% increase in YouTube viewership and a nearly 30% growth in website engagement; partnered with Creative Arts Therapies of the Palm Beaches to create a series of fun, interactive sessions for the children at Quantum House and the Palm Beach Children's Hospital at St. Mary's in West Palm Beach; and spearheaded a collaboration with Ballet Palm Beach, the Maltz Jupiter Theatre and Palm Beach Opera to produce an inspirational viral YouTube performance of Barry Manilow’s “One Voice,” which so moved the composer that he shared the video with his 4.4 million Facebook followers.

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Previously, as President and Chief Operating Officer of Loggerhead Marine life Center in Juno Beach, David was instrumental in securing land and support for the organization’s future expansion and forged large-scale, strategic alliances with Conservation International, Earth Day Network, National Geographic, Sea Turtle Conservancy, University of Miami, Vineyard Vines, Palm Beach County School District and Florida Weekly. As a much sought-after consultant to nonprofits, small businesses, entrepreneurs and foundations, David has guided restructuring and shared psychology-oriented business development tools to enable them to achieve success in highly competitive markets.

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Selected as a 2020 Palm Beach Top 100, David is active in the community and currently sits on the board of trustees for the Palm Beach Chamber of Commerce and on a panel for the Florida Department of State’s Division of Cultural Affairs. A founding board member of the Palm Beach Book Festival, he is a prior board member of the Susan G Komen for the Cure and Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County, Inc.