A 'Standards Champion,' Bill Dee is a long-time contributor to national standards around compliance, many of which have also informed international standards. He has chaired many committees and, in that time, was involved with drafting and publishing complaints handling and dispute management standards (just to name a few). His work has focused on developing innovative practices for industry to strengthen the competitiveness of the Australian economy and protect consumers.  

A self-named champion of standards, Bill Dee's contribution to forming and implementing standards around consumer protection has been highly influential.

After working for the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) as Head of Compliance for more than 20 years, Mr Dee is now Principal of Compliance and Complaints Advisory Services Pty Ltd, a fellow of the Governance, Risk and Compliance Institute and was the foundation President of its predecessor – the Association of Compliance Professionals. His practice specifically covers compliance, dispute management and consumer affairs. Throughout his career, Mr Dee has contributed to standards in this area both nationally and internationally.  Mr Dee’s first involvement with Standards Australia was in the 1990s when he was participating on the committee for buoyance aids as a representative of the ACCC.

“I enjoyed the cut and thrust of the people on the committee and the opportunity to craft words for the standards. Through the connections I built on that committee, I began contributing to complaints handling standards,” Mr Dee said.

Mr Dee was the architect of the Australian Standard on Compliance Programs (AS 3806) and chaired the Standards Australia committee that drafted it. In addition, Mr Dee has chaired Standards Australia committees that have drafted standards on Complaints Handling (AS 10002) and Dispute Management (AS 4608). He has also prepared the working drafts for Australian Standards on Corporate Social Responsibility, Whistleblowing Protection Programs for Entities and Organisational Codes of Conduct. Within this capacity, he also helped form the working draft of the British Standards Institution (BSI) Standard Code of Practice for Customer Service (BSI 8477.2007).

Mr Dee has also influenced the setting of international standards, serving on International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Technical Committee 309 which has drafted a requirement  international standard on Compliance Management Systems (ISO 37301).  Mr Dee was Chair of the ISO sub-committee drafting international standards on environmental marketing claims and ISO’s consumer policy committee Working Group, preparing submissions on global market standards. He was also Chair of the working group that drafted the ISO International Standard on Complaints Handling. Mr Dee is justifiably proud of his work and contributions being adopted globally across many standards.

“I’m a great believer of standards – you've got a champion in me,” Mr Dee said.  

While he has enjoyed an impressive and lengthy career and contribution to society through his involvement with Standards Australia, Mr Dee’s is perhaps most pleased with his more recent work on around vulnerability standards.

“The Standard (ISO 22458) reframed the concept of vulnerability. It needed to be understood in a much more dynamic way in that any consumer may be vulnerable depending on their circumstances or the situations that they found themselves. The circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic is a case-in-point, as are the emergencies and disasters, such as bushfires and floods we have seen here in Australia – they underscore that aspect of vulnerability.

“ISO 22458 also focuses on the way organisations design services they deliver in situations where consumers are experiencing harm - for example, because they don't understand information put out by organisations or if it's not put in a way that consumers can interpret.

“The standard gives practical guidance to organisations on how to identify vulnerable situations and suggestions on how to appropriately respond to such situations,” Mr Dee said.  

Mr Dee's work has helped strengthen the competitiveness of the Australian economy and protect consumers. In 1998 his work was recognised by the Commonwealth Government through an Australia Day Award.

“We at Standards Australia recognise Mr Dee's contributions every day and appreciate his commitment and expertise,” said Adam Stingemore, Standards Australia’s General Manager of Engagement and Communications.  

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