Davidson was elected at the board of trustees meeting in London last night and his inaugural speech outlined how he will work with the charity to further promote its work internationally.
He said: "D&AD is respected globally for both its professional and student awards. I want to help strengthen those global connections and build the profile of all of its education programmes.
"One of the best things about D&AD is that it brings creative practitioners from so many disciplines together."
Davidson was first acquainted with D&AD when he used to participate in one of the organisation's advertising workshops in his student days. He first appeared in the D&AD Annual in 1987 and has won 16 Yellow and two Black Pencils as creative director of Wieden & Kennedy. He joined the D&AD board of trustees in 2004.
Michael Hockney, D&AD chief executive, said: "Tony's enthusiasm and commitment over the next year will even further inspire the creative community around the world."
The annual dinner last night was attended by D&AD past presidents including John Hegarty, Alan Parker and Martin Lambie-Nairn. Dick Powell, D&AD president, for 2005-2006 handed over the mantle to Davidson.
The D&AD Annual is to launch this month, featuring more than 740 pieces of work across 296 categories.
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