Dave Steele has been the operations manager for the Isle of Wight Festival since 2012. Having previously served in the police, the latter part of his career was based in a specialist department that dealt with the planning and delivery of large-scale events. He was also a qualified counter terrorism search advisor and coordinator.

Steele is now responsible for all operational aspects of the event and its day-to-day planning and running. He assists the promoter with the continued development of the festival to ensure it is delivered on time and to budget, this includes all negotiations on police recharges.

His responsibilities are wide ranging but include making strategic decisions on the safety at the event including counter terrorism, security and crowd management, the delivery of the traffic plan and ensuring the event is effectively resourced. His role includes managing relationships with a wide range of event partners including those from responsible authorities.