David Brunnschweiler was born in Manchester in 1927 and attended school in Chorlton. Brunnschweiler was a graduate of the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology. In the course of his career he became an executive of various nonwovens manufacturing companies and industry suppliers, including Cosmopolitan Textiles and NIRI. Brunnschweiler served as the Chairman of The Textiles Institute, as well as chairing the Institute's Diplomas and Publications committees. The University of Leeds recognised Brunnschweiler's expertise, awarding him an honorary doctorate and employing him as a Visiting Professor of Nonwovens.