Ian has been in his current role since October 2023. He was previously Chief Executive of Council on the Ageing (COTA) Australia, the national peak consumer body for older Australians, from October 2002 to December 2022, after being Chief Executive of COTA SA since 1989. He was also Chair of the Ageing and Aged Care Council of Elders, a member of the National Aged Care Advisory Council and the Aged Care Quality and Safety Advisory Council. and a member of the Aged Care Financing Authority.
Ian also represented older Australians on other key federal government and sector advisory bodies including the Australian Tax Office Superannuation Industry Stewardship Group; the Australian Securities and Investments Commission Consumer Advisory Panel; the Advisory Board of the Centre of Excellence in Population Ageing Research (CEPAR); and was a Director of Livable Housing Australia and the Aged Rights Advocacy Service. He remains the Chair of the Management Committee of the Australasian Journal on Ageing.
Ian held senior governance positions in hospital and essential services in South Australia throughout the 2000’s and served on the Flinders University Council for 20 years including seven years as Deputy Chancellor. Flinders is a public research university based in Adelaide. Ian is Emeritus Deputy Chancellor and holds an Honorary Doctorate from the university. He was awarded Membership in the Order of Australia (AM) in June 2005.