Can you share with us the story of how you initially became involved in the field of industrial relations? What experiences or events led you to pursue a career in this area?

My father is a lawyer who has had a significant employment law practice for as long as I can recall. I was always interested in becoming a lawyer myself and, perhaps unsurprisingly, I worked with him whilst I studied and upon my graduation, gaining valuable experience in the field. I much preferred the pace at which employment law matters proceed, especially compared to the personal injury matters which often drag on for years and years. I prefer the sometimes “rough and ready” nature of negotiations in the employment and IR field, were matters get settled quickly, enabling people to move on with their lives. Also, I worked at large fast food chain and a supermarket in my school/university days, where my experiences, and those of my co-workers, showed me the importance of workers having access to good quality advice about their rights and entitlements at work.

Reflecting on your career journey thus far, could you highlight what you consider to be your most significant achievement within the realm of industrial relations? How did this accomplishment impact your professional trajectory or contribute to your personal growth?

I cannot think of “the big one”, but hopefully I am young enough that my most significant achievements are still ahead of me. For me, it is more about the smaller achievements, like being referred the close friend of a respected colleague from the other side, or a referral from the owner of a business you acted against previously.

I am now starting to see some of the students I’ve taught in the employment and industrial relations law module of the University of Adelaide GDLP course coming into their own as young lawyers. Even though I no doubt had nothing to do with their ability, nor their decision to practice in this area of law, it has definitely provided a satisfying answer for me when I am up late marking assignments and wondering why I keep trying to squeeze teaching in on top of my own practice and family life.

In your opinion, what do you perceive as the most prominent emerging issue within the field of industrial relations today? How do you foresee this issue shaping the landscape of IR in the future, and what steps do you believe are necessary to address it effectively?

I think dwindling unionism and the effectiveness of Labor's collective bargaining reforms will become a major issue. It will be interesting to see the uptake on multi-enterprise collective agreements and whether the unions have the resources to bargain effectively across multiple enterprises in circumstances where less than 5% of workers entering the workforce will join a union and membership overall is at about 12.5%.

If lack of members means the unions do not have the resources to organise and bargain effectively on behalf of workers across these enterprises, we will lose the benefits to the workforce that the reforms hope to bring.

If you could offer a piece of advice to your younger self when embarking on your first job in industrial relations, what would it be? based on your experiences and insights gained over the years, what guidance would you provide to someone just starting out in this field?

Don’t worry about winning or losing, worry about whether you do a good a job.

Whilst a good outcome is important, clients also want to feel like they have had someone genuinely advocating on their behalf and their position has been heard and understood.

More experienced practitioners will know that there is a winner and a loser in every case. They won’t judge you on the final outcome, they will judge you on the way you conduct yourself and your client’s case all the way up to that final point.

Is there a particular individual within the realm of industrial relations or a related field whom you admire most? What qualities or accomplishments of this person inspire you, and in what ways have they influenced your approach to your own professional endeavours?

There are a few Commission members and judges who I particularly admire for the paths they followed prior to their appointments. What I admire is the fact that they never appeared to be motivated by recognition or promotion. They always appeared to stay true to themselves and their values, practiced only in areas of the law for which they had a real passion and only ever appeared concerned to act professionally and do the best possible job they could for their clients. It just shows you can go a long way by focusing on the basics.

As we aim to get to know you better beyond your professional achievements, could you share a random fun fact about yourself? Whether it is a unique hobby, an interesting travel experience, or an unexpected talent, we would love to hear something that offers insight into the person behind the professional persona.

I have a lime green 1979 Holden Gemini station wagon that I drive on the weekends. I have had it since I was a teenager and I really should be too old and sensible to be driving something so noisy and obnoxious. My wife and son refuse to get in it with me, but my daughter loves it.

I have also spent the last few months learning how to do the Rubik’s cube. I average about two and a half minutes to solve it, which is apparently not very fast.