Councillor - 2021
John is a Research Fellow at the University of NSW, investigating social-ecological systems, stewardship and sustainability in marine and coastal contexts. His research interests include the social and ecological effectiveness of marine protected areas, local environmental stewardship including restoration and citizen science, and achieving a sustainable relationship between humans and our environment. His research has been published in biodiversity, conservation and sustainability journals, and he is currently working on the Australian State of the Environment Report (2021).
John also dedicates substantial time and effort to science communication, outreach and community engagement. He is co-author of the book Underwater Sydney, and founder and principal of www.marineexplorer.org, which provides a library of over 12,000 creative commons underwater photographs, videos and articles. He is the east coast coordinator, trainer and Advisory Committee member for Reef Life Survey (www.reeflifesurvey.com) and AMSA NSW Branch President.
Before entering full-time academia, John founded and managed a business consulting firm specialising in stakeholder engagement, provided business consulting services to several Australian universities, financial services and telecommunications companies and non-profit organisations. He spent his early career as an engineer, project manager and IT consultant.
John was an adjunct lecturer at Macquarie University from 2002-2014, lecturing in relationship management and marketing and developing the MBA unit Customer Relationship Management. His qualifications include Bachelor of Engineering (hons), Master of Business Administration and Master of Marine Science and Management, and Doctor of Philosophy.