James Kirby

Australian Financial Journalist, Keynote Speaker & MC

James Kirby is a leading Australian financial journalist, a commentator, broadcaster and entrepreneur. One of the most popular ‘new generation’ business commentators, he has addressed audiences as diverse as caravan park owners, Chief Financial Officers, librarians and rural development associations. Equally in demand as an MC and conference facilitator, his warm and personable ‘Irish style’ has endeared him to audiences across Australia.

James Kirby is a former managing editor and co-founder of Business Spectator and Eureka Report. He has previously worked at the Australian Financial Review and the South China Morning Post. James is a regular commentator on radio and television, and the author of several business biographies. He has served on the Walkley Awards Advisory Board and is a qualified securities adviser in Australia. James is a graduate of Ireland’s UCG and Dublin City University.

More about James Kirby:

James Kirby is well known as the Wealth Editor of The Australian, for which he produces the paper’s wealth section and a range of related online products. He writes a weekly column for The Weekend Australian and presents a weekly video.

For many years, James has presented a weekly segment on News Breakfast with Virginia Trioli and Michael Rowland at the ABC. He appears as a regular guest on radio stations including ABC 774 in Victoria with Raf Epstein. He also co-presents a weekly podcast The Money Cafe with Alan Kohler.

James was the co-founder, a shareholder and the managing editor of the AIBM group with Alan Kohler and Robert Gottliebsen. The AIBM group launched Eureka Report, Business Spectator and a range of related titles before it was sold to News Corporation in 2012. James is also chairman of Well Made Clothes, an online publishing and retail company.

James has written a range of Australian business books including biographies of the late Richard Pratt and Harvey Norman’s Gerry Harvey. He has also written the Australian edition of Investment for Dummies along with My Mother’s Diamonds, a television documentary on the holocaust assets affair. He is also the author of the best-selling Business Secrets series of books profiling leading Australian entrepreneurs.

James’ experience as both a commentator, combined with his time as a ‘hands-on’ manager of a successful start-up company, creates a unique blend of professional commentary and practical business expertise. His ‘outlook’ presentations, which are a mix a sharp analysis of economic forecasts with precise observations on individual business sectors, have been applauded throughout Australia.

James’s presentations are designed to connect with every audience member whether an investor, a manager, a salary earner, a retiree or simply an interested observer. His mission is to make the world of business, economics and investment accessible to every attendee.

Moreover, James ensures that his presentations are not academic – rather they are designed to offer take-aways, solutions, ideas and answers to audience members.

James is an in-demand financial commentator with wide experience as a MC and conference facilitator. He offers a splendid grasp of wider economic issues blended with an intensely practical and newsworthy approach that enlivens any gathering.

James Kirby talks about:

With a wide array of weekly media appearances and a key role in the national newspaper, James is absolutely up-do-date on the key issues and trends that will affect your business, group or organisation in the months ahead. He tailors talks for each client with reference to their industry sector in areas such as:

  • The outlook for the Australian and global economies
  • The outlook for the Australian financial services sector
  • What economic development opportunities there are in Australia
  • The sustainability of the Australian housing market
  • Optimising opportunities in superannuation and SMSF’s

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