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-lawyers 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 synthesis 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
• Masters of Town and Country Planning, Sydney University 
• Bachelor of Town and Regional Planning, Melbourne 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.
• 2019 to 2025 - Commissioner, Greyhound Welfare and Integrity Commission
• July 2019 to present - Consultant advising on the management of complaints, investigations and whistleblowing 
• 2020 to present - Solicitor; Accredited Mediator (NMAS) & Specialist Adviser, Ethical Conduct, Centium
• 2026 to present - Independent Arbiter (appointed by Minister under s.188L,  Children (Education and Care Services) National Law (NSW) No 104a of 2010 - NSW Legislation) 

Board and Commission Memberships

• Independent Arbiter (s.188L, Children (Education and Care Services) National Law (NSW) No 104a of 2010)

• Sydney Cove Rotary Club (former President)

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)