Dean is a Chartered Accountant Fellow (FCA) and has a decorated career in the seafood industry across commercial and customary fishing sectors, in both governance and management positions. He was in the senior leadership team at Aotearoa Fisheries Ltd (now trading as Moana NZ) and previously Chief Executive of Prepared Foods Limited and Managing Director of Prepack Ltd.  Dean has worked at Te Ohu Kaimoana as Commercial Manager.

Dean has extensive governance experience and currently serves on a number of Ngāti Porou and Iwi Partnership Boards including, Director Te Rūnanganui o Ngāti Porou, Chair Ngā Hapū o Ngā Rohe o Ngāti Porou Takutai Trusts, Deputy Chair of Ngāti Porou Holding Company Ltd and Chairs subsidiaries Ngāti Porou Seafoods Limited and Akaroa Salmon NZ Limited.

Dean represents Ngāti Porou on the Iwi Collective Partnership and Port Nicholson GP Ltd.  He is a director of two Crown Research Institutes, NZ Institute for Plant & Food Research Ltd and NIWA Research Limited and on the boards of Asure Quality Limited, BV-AQ (Singapore) Holdings PTE Limited and the NZ Food & Beverage Group.

Dean commenced in his tenure as a Director with Te Ohu Kaimoana in December 2023.