Iain is the Managing Director and a Co-founder of Pangolin Associates. With almost 20 years in the carbon sector, he is recognised as one of the pioneers in the industry in Australia. Under Iain’s leadership, Pangolin has grown from a small four-person consultancy in 2010, into a successful medium-size enterprise.
Prior to Pangolin, Iain spent eighteen years working in IT, initially in Adelaide and then in Sydney. In 2007, he changed his career trajectory. He left IT to set up the Sydney operations for Carbon Planet, one of the first independent carbon management companies in Australia. Iain was acting on a growing unease with business-as-usual activities in commercial enterprise and the harm wreaked on the environment.
Three years later, he saw an opportunity to expand on Carbon Planet’s work and, along with three like-minded individuals, began Pangolin Associates. Today the company boasts a highly specialised team and a suite of decarbonisation, sustainability, and carbon reporting services that compete with top consultancies. Additionally, Pangolin’s enviable client base has expanded into a wide variety of industries and jurisdictions.
Iain is recognised for his resourcefulness and ability to bring together people and companies, finding solutions to obstacles in a challenging sector, and sharing in the success. Over the years, he has consistently engaged with clients, government departments, and the business community at large. His collaborative approach has resulted in loyal partnerships with accountancies, private equity firms, and non-competing industry associates – an integral part of Pangolin’s growth and reputation.
In 2023, Iain negotiated and led Pangolin’s integration into the Viridios Group, an Australian company with global presence in corporate solutions and asset management in the Voluntary Carbon Market (VCM) and compliance markets – and a good fit for Pangolin’s service offerings. After completing the integration, he guided the company through a strategic business restructure which focussed squarely on the near-future needs of Australian businesses: preparing for a net zero economy and recently legislated mandatory climate disclosure obligations.
In addition to his role at Pangolin, Iain enjoys volunteer activities that both acknowledge and support the sustainability efforts of Australian businesses of all sizes. Since 2016, for example, he has been a judge for high profile events such as the National Banksia Sustainability Awards. Iain is also a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (MAICD), and the Carbon Market Institute (CMI).