Dean co-founded Proxy Australia, a boutique proxy voting advisory service and governance researcher in 2003.

Following the sale of Proxy Australia in 2005, Dean led the Australian office through its various ownership changes (ISS Australia, RiskMetrics and ISS Governance Services), building it into the pre-eminent Australian provider prior to his departure in August 2010.

He is the author of numerous opinion pieces, regulatory submissions and speeches and is a well known media commentator on governance issues.

Earlier in his career Dean was a commercial lawyer and subsequently the founding CEO of the Australian Institute of Superannuation Trustees (AIST) a national not-for-profit organisation whose mission is to promote and protect the interests of Australia’s $450 billion not-for-profit superannuation sector.

He holds a Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Laws (Hons) from the University of Melbourne and is a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Victoria.