Dean is a Carpenter by Trade and grew up in the South West of Tasmania. With three decades working across construction and residential building sectors, he is a graduate of the Australian National University School of Pacific Studies and Economics.

A policy analyst by training, Dean spent 15 years in Canberra representing every global manufacturer of outboard engines in the world. He was instrumental in designing the current emissions framework and became an Associate of the Australian Risk Policy Institute in 2018.

Since then he has been engaged by the likes of Tattarang Private Equity and a raft of respected companies across Australia and New Zealand to deliver millions of dollars worth of projects. He was also the Executive Director of the Rice Growers Association of Australia, CEO of the Fremantle Sailing Club and delivered asset management programs for various non-government and private sector entities.