About Me

Key professional services offered

• Whistleblower/public interest disclosure management, advice, training and investigations.

• Complaint management, advice, training and investigations (including the management of unreasonable conduct by some complainants).

• Workplace and code of conduct investigations.

• Mediation.

• Membership of internal audit and risk committees.

• Training on administrative law for non-lawyerss exercising discretionary powers.

Key Skills

• Extensive management and legal experience in a range of environments.

• Strong and successful history of working collaboratively with critical stakeholders in complex administrative, legal and policy areas. 

• Extensive high order experience working alongside senior management and providing valuable and strategic advice to successive Ombudsman, as well as to executive officers and Ministers when working at the former Department of Local Government.

• Effective and efficient problem solving skills with an ability to identify and synthesise major issues of strategic importance. 

• Strong history of developing and leading motivated, effective and stable teams of complaint handlers and investigators at the Ombudsman’s Office and the former Department of Local Government.

• Long experience in identifying appropriate strategies and developing guidelines and training aimed at the better management of whistleblowing and protection of whistleblowers.

• Extensive experience in conducting formal investigations, including conducting hearings and exercising Royal Commission powers.

• Extensive experience in the development of guidelines, and the development and delivery of training, on various aspects of complaint handling, investigations, whistleblowing, ethical conduct, and appropriate administrative practices, including the proper exercise of discretionary powers.

• Effective presentation skills, leading to repeat invitations to present at a range of annual conferences, seminars and training sessions on issues relevant to complaint handling, investigations, conflict resolution, administrative law and the management of public interest disclosures and the protection of whistleblowers. 

Qualifications

• Accredited Mediator (NMAS) 
•  Bachelor of Laws (Hons), University of Technology, Sydney
•  Bachelor of Town and Regional Planning, Melbourne University
• Masters of Town and Country Planning, Sydney University

Employment History  

• 1972-1978 - Town Planner, Geelong Regional Planning Authority, Housing Commission of Victoria and the Urban Renewal Authority of Victoria.

• 1978-1980 – Town Planner, North Sydney Council.

• 1980-1986 – NSW Ombudsman, Investigation Officer, then Senior Investigation Officer

• 1986- 1990 - Local Government Inspector (under the former Local Government Act 1919), then appointed Manager of the Special Investigations and Management Audit Branch of the former Department of Local Government. Apart from conducting and managing investigations, in these roles I was a primary author of a range of management guidelines published by the Department, including Council Management Planning, Council Management Guidelines, and the NSW Local Government Code of Conduct and Manual (the first detailed code of conduct and associated conduct manual for councils in NSW). 

• 1990-1994 – Solicitor in private practice, specialising in administrative law related matters for a range of state and local government entities, including representing public officials in hearings before the ICAC.

• 1994 to June 2019 – Deputy to five NSW Ombudsman.

• July 2019 to present - Consultant advising on the management of complaints and whistleblowing 

• 2019 to present - Commissioner, Greyhound Welfare and Integrity Commission and Accredited Mediator (NMAS)

• 2020 to present - Solicitor and Specialist Adviser, Ethical Conduct, Centium. 

Board and Commission Memberships

• Commissioner, Greyhound Welfare and Integrity Commission 

• Society of Consumer Affairs Professionals (SOCAP)

• Sydney Cove Rotary Club (President elect)

• Medical Repurposing Network (NFP associated with Rotary)

Awards

• Excellence Award in Government Legal Service, Law Society Government Solicitors’ Committee, 2004.

• Public Service Medal, January 2019

Bosan Pty Ltd (ABN: 87003 832 228)