Russell Ian Brown is the founder and Managing Director of R.I Brown Pty Ltd. In the past 40 years, Mr Brown has represented the Institution of Engineers, The Foundation & Footings Society and the Association of Consulting Structural Engineers Victoria on the Building Control Act committee as an industry advisor to ensure that the bill covered the needs of engineers.

As a practicing consulting engineer, Russell assisted Australian Standards in the preparation of the AS4100 handbook Limit State Steel Code to facilitate design engineers transferring from AS1250 to Limit State philosophy.

On behalf of the Victorian Managed Insurance Authority (formerly the Housing Guarantee Fund Ltd), Russell investigates difficult failures generally involving ground movement or suspected structural failures and costings.

Russell is a regular guest presenter at Melbourne University, RMIT, Swinburne, Monash and Deakin Universities on topics such as; portal frame design, foundation investigation, residential housing construction/general issues and geotechnical engineering areas.

Russell has conducted numerous seminars/workshops including presentations for the Association of Consulting Structural Engineers of Victoria (ACSEV), The Foundation & Footings Society and the Australian Institute of Building Surveyors (AIBS) with regards to foundation movement and building failures, steel portal frame designs and the new AS2870-1996.

Mr Brown is the author of six international papers on ground reactivity, failures of light construction, and nationally similar papers in conjunction with other authors.

Mr Brown is actively involved in industry associations. His membership includes:

• Founder, Past Chairman & current committee member of The Foundation & Footings Society (Vic) Inc.
• Past President and committee member of Association of Consulting Structural Engineers Victoria.
• Past Vice Chairman and committee member of Australian Steel Institute Victoria Branch (ASI).
• Past committee member of The Australia Institute of Engineers Structural Branch (Victoria).
• Past member of the Building Appeals Board Victoria.
• Member of Rotary Club Essendon since 1982.
• Past President and current committee member of the Melbourne Beefsteak & Burgundy Club.