Ian Kemish AM is an Australian author, international relations specialist and not-for-profit chair. He is a former senior Australian diplomat and business executive. 

Ian’s government career included service as High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea, Ambassador to Germany, Head of International Division at the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, and head of DFAT’s Consular and Crisis Management Service. He subsequently held a number of C-suite executive positions in the international resource sector, with global responsibility for external relations, community and sustainability.

Ian is co-founder and managing director of international strategic advisory firm Forridel, which advises several Australian and international companies on international issues. He is chair of both the Kokoda Track Foundation and of 3rd Space, a day centre for the homeless in his home city of Brisbane. His book The Consul, released in July 2022, provides an insider account of 20 years of international crisis management. He writes regularly on Indo-Pacific security issues, with a particular focus on the South Pacific region.