David Mendelson is a graduate of Edinburgh University in Computer Science and Electronics (BSc Hons).

He spent 10 years in the electricity industry prior to joining Total in 1998; since then, has held various business development positions in the Exploration & Production Branch.

In 2009, he was appointed Deputy to the Vice President New Ventures & Asset Management, based in Paris, and in June 2014 he was appointed Managing Director of Total E&P Australia and Group Representative in Perth, Australia.  August 2015, he returned to Paris to the position of Vice President New Ventures & Asset Management.

He was appointed Senior Vice President Strategy Business Development R&D and a member of the E&P Management Committee in August 2019.

David Mendelson was appointed Senior Vice President Americas for Exploration & Production in September 2021.