Researcher biography

A former Australian Army officer, David's career in the Australian Intelligence Corps provided wide-ranging experience and specialist qualifications in the intelligence and security domains. He served at the strategic, operational and tactical levels of command providing advice and support to commanders and decision makers both in Australia and deployed on operational service. The culmination of David's military career came with his appointment as Commandant of Australia's Defence Intelligence Training Centre in 2003. With command and management responsibility for 145 military and civilian staff, an operational remit for the provision of all intelligence training within Defence and an annual operating budget of $2.5m, this position represents the pinnacle of achievement for an Australian Intelligence Corps officer. David was awarded a Commander Training Command Commendation for his performance of duty in this role.

Since separating from the Army in 2006, David has established and maintained a successful consultancy focussed on the provision of intelligence and security expertise. Levering his knowledge and experience of working as a member of the Australian Intelligence Community for 30 years, David has provided consultancy services to several major Defence projects. He has also developed and delivered intelligence training to organisations including the Australian Federal Police, Victoria's Office of Police Integrity and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation.

David possesses a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree from the University of New South Wales, a Master of Justice from the Queensland University of Technology and a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Queensland in which he researched investigative interviewing skill acquisition, transfer and application in the Queensland Police Service. In recent years he has been engaged by the University to design, develop and teach an undergraduate course in Global Security and Regulation and to design the criminology component of the Master of Cyber Security program. He is currently engaged as a lecturer in Cyber Criminology with research interests in countering the possession, production and distribution of Child Exploitation Material and the use of offensive cyber techniques in law enforcement.