John is the Secretary General of the Global Earthquake Model Foundation. He previously represented Australia on the GEM Governing Board from 2009 to 2015, serving as Chair from 2013-2015. John also served as a member of the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction’s Science & Technology Advisory Group from 2012 to 2017. John received a PhD in geophysics from the University of Wisconsin (USA) and subsequently held positions in academia and private industry in the US. John moved to Australia in 2000 to lead the development of a natural hazards risk assessment capability for the Australian government, addressing urban risk in Australia, and later on capacity building programs in partnership with developing countries in southeast Asia and the Pacific. He has been based in Italy since February 2016 to work with GEM.