Robert commenced employment in the Australian Commonwealth Government in 1987. He enjoyed a successful and varied career in national security roles, including a diplomatic posting to the Australian High Commission in the United Kingdom from 1998 to 2001.

In 2005 he was promoted to the Senior Executive Service and in 2007 he was promoted to First Assistant Secretary level.

In 2015 Rob was chosen to lead the implementation of the outcomes of Australia’s Counter Terrorism Strategy and was then appointed as the first Executive Director of the Australian Counter Terrorism Centre (ACTC).

Following his 2019 retirement from government service Robert was appointed as an Australian External Adviser to a major US Technology Company, a role he held for eighteen months.

Robert has also undertaken numerous complex reviews for Australian Commonwealth agencies and State police forces focused on leadership, governance, and capability building.

For over fifteen years Robert has played a key role in the Leadership in Counter Terrorism Alumni Association (LinCT-AA), where he is currently the Australia and New Zealand representative on the global executive. He was elected President of the Alumni Association for the 2011/12 year. The LinCT-AA hosts major counter terrorism conferences across North America, the United Kingdom and Australia.

Robert is a senior member of the IR team contracted by the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) to provide global security planning, assurance and coordination. Rob was an integral member of the IR team involved in security planning and operational coordination for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. He was deployed in a similar IR role, coordinating security for an international media rightsholder, at the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

In 2024 he was appointed as IRs lead for security master planning on the design of the AUD 40 Billion SVP Athlete’s Enclave in Ahmedabad, Gujarat State, India. The SVP precinct is the centrepiece of the bids by India to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games and the 2036 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

In 2021 Robert was awarded the Australian Security Medal (ASM) for his leadership and drive in building stronger collaborative partnerships between law enforcement, business, and the security industry. Through his work, he continues to bring private industry and government together for better national security outcomes.