Professor Harper is one of Australia’s best-known economists, having worked with governments, banks and corporates at the highest level; held a number of prestigious academic positions; authored numerous academic and industry publications; served on various boards and advisory bodies; and been sought out as a public commentator.
In May 2016 he was appointed to the Board of the Reserve Bank of Australia and recently chaired the Federal Government’s Competition Policy Review (the Harper Review) of Australia’s competition policy, laws and regulators.
A partner at Deloitte Access Economics from 2011 to 2016, Harper has also held various other roles, including at the Melbourne Business School, where he was elected Emeritus Professor; the Australian Fair Pay Commission, where he was inaugural Chairman; the Victorian Government’s Independent Review of State Finances, where he was a Member; and the Advisory Board of the Bank of America Merrill Lynch in Australia, where he was a Member. He is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia and the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and a Distinguished Public Policy Fellow of the Economic Society of Australia.
With his opinion sought on a vast array of topics ranging from market economics, privatisation, deregulation, taxation, globalisation and economic issues of the day, Harper’s skill lies in combining his academic strength, business acumen and common sense with a talent for communication and principled debate.
