About John Barton, PhD

Current Positions 

• Executive Officer, Business Strategy Dynamics

• Teaching Associate, Monash University

• Adjunct Associate Professor, RMIT University (Safety Science and OHS)

• Co-convenor, Public Policy Thread International System Dynamics Society Annual Conference 

Education 

• PhD (Monash). Thesis explores the history and philosophy of science of systems thinking and contemporary applications to knowledge management

• Executive education in corporate strategy (Sloan School of Management, MIT)

• Post graduate studies in economics and econometrics (La Trobe University)

• Bachelor Science in mathematics (University of Melbourne) 

• Matriculation with honours in mathematics and history (Melbourne High School)

Background

With a strong emphasis on the interaction between universities and industry, John’s career has spanned academia, industry and consulting. His current focus is on the application of systems thinking frameworks and action research methodologies to managing complexity with a particular focus on safety science and OHS management.

His early academic focus was on mathematics, operations research and business economics. Later, he played a leadership role at Monash University developing and implementing a Master of Management in systems thinking and organisational learning.

After a period in senior academic administration positions including establishing an international educational marketing business, he became the manager of corporate planning in a major water utility. In this role his focus was on policy development and managing cultural change relating to privatisation and corporatisation.

John has over a decade’s experience in business consulting, the first five as a partner in a strategy consulting firm specialising in system dynamics modelling, general strategy, and executive development. Clients were drawn from manufacturing, telecommunications, agriculture, shipping, and services in Australia, Asia and the USA.