Saul Eslake

Economic Commentator & Keynote Speaker

High-profile economist who has worked with some of the world's biggest financial institutions. He presents a well-researched and clear economic picture on a range of highly charged and relevant topics to audiences and corporations across the globe. With a knack for explaining economics in terms mere mortals can understand, his views are also regularly sought out by the media.

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Saul Eslake worked as an economist in the Australian financial markets for more than 25 years, including as Chief Economist at McIntosh Securities (a stockbroking firm) in the late 1980s, Chief Economist (International) at National Mutual Funds Management in the early 1990s, as Chief Economist at the Australia & New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ) from 1995 to 2009, and as Chief Economist (Australia & New Zealand) for Bank of America Merrill Lynch from 2011 until June 2015. In between these last two positions, he was Director of the Productivity Growth program at the then newly-established Grattan Institute, a ‘think tank’.

In July 2015 Saul started up his own economics consultancy business, operating out of Hobart, and in April 2016 took up a part-time position as a Vice-Chancellor’s Fellow at the University of Tasmania.

He completed an Independent Review of Tasmania’s Public Sector Finances, pursuant to the agreement between the Premier of Tasmania and members of the Jacqui Lambie Network in the aftermath of the state election.

Saul is a member of the Australian Parliamentary Budget Office’s Advisory Panel; the Australian Taxation Office’s ‘Tax Gap’ Advisory Panel; and is on the Advisory Board of Jamieson Coote Bonds, a Melbourne-based specialist bond investment manager.

Saul has a first class honours degree in Economics from the University of Tasmania, and a Graduate Diploma in Applied Finance and Investment from the Securities Institute of Australia. In December 2012 he was awarded an Honorary LLD degree by the University of Tasmania. He has also completed the Senior Executive Program at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Business in New York.

Video

Topics

  • Outlook for the Australian, US, Chinese and global economies
  • Implications of the US election outcome
  • Australia’s housing crisis
  • Have we passed ‘peak China’?
  • The economics of immigration
  • Outlook for interest rates and the Australian dollar
  • The Tasmanian economy
  • The Victorian economy
  • Federal and state budgets and public finances
  • Federal-state financial relations
  • The aged care sector
  • Challenges for Australian agriculture
  • Commodity price outlooks
  • The Papua-New Guinea economy
Saul Eslake’s rigorous independent analysis ensures policy discussions in Australia are informed by the facts. His skill in communicating complex evidence clearly and memorably is a powerful service to Australian policymakers and all those interested in good public policy. Super Members Council
Saul Eslake - it was amazing to listen to your perspective, thank you for sharing with us Federal Group
As usual you stole the show and audience were very receptive – I’m so pleased you could join us!!! According to our Post-Summit survey, you were one of our top 3 speakers on the first day of the Summit! Many attendees mentioned you by name in their list of highlights. Regional Australia Institute
Thank you for your presentation to Q Shelter and our members. The content is very helpful to us and in addition to helpful suggestions about policy, provides valuable information helping our stakeholders understand housing trends and history in Australia as a context for our work. I appreciate too the thoroughness of your preparation and that you took the time to speak to me to understand the brief. It was everything I hoped for and gives us a lot to think about going forward. Shelter