Ian is a protected area and connectivity conservation specialist with 36 years’ experience in conservation including as a senior manager leading multidisciplinary teams of specialists in conservation assessment, environmental planning and assessment, reserve design and establishment, protected area management, threatened species conservation and cultural heritage conservation in NSW. He was a NSW government negotiator for two NSW regional forest agreements.

Along with Graeme Worboys they proposed the establishment of the Great Eastern Ranges Initiative and was founding director from 2007-2010. Ian is a member of the IUCN WCPA Connectivity Conservation Specialist Group, a former member of the National Parks and Wildlife Service Southern Ranges Region Advisory Committee and has served on a range of government committees. This included providing advice on the National Wildlife Corridors Plan that was adopted by the Australian Government in 2012.

He has co-edited and co-authored two books on protected area management (IUCN) and linking Australia’s landscapes (CSIRO) and co-authored many published papers and articles.