Economist and former politician, Dr John Hewson, has been named Equiti Capital Limited’s new Chairman of the Board.
Equiti Capital executive director Lindon Toll said the appointment was an important step, and one that will help the company grow its long-term business strategy.
Renowned for his work as an economist for the Australian Treasury, the Reserve Bank of Australia, the International Monetary Fund and the United Nations, Dr Hewson is also well known for his political career as Leader of the Liberal Party and the Coalition in opposition, and before that as Shadow Treasurer.
Since leaving politics in 1995, he has run his own investment banking business, and has been an active director on the boards of many public and private companies.
Dr Hewson was a founding executive director of Macquarie Bank, a trustee of the IBM Superannuation Fund, Chairman of ABN AMRO Australia and member of its Advisory Council. Dr Hewson also chairs two charities: Osteoporosis Australia and KidsXpress. He also serves as Chairman of the Investment Advisory Committee of the Australian Olympic Foundation, and is a member of the Trilateral Commission.
In addition to his work in business and politics, Dr Hewson also had an extensive academic career, including 11 years as the professor of economics at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) and four years as head of the School of Economics, also at UNSW. He also served as dean of Macquarie Graduate School of Management for 2 years, and professor of management at Macquarie University.
"Dr Hewson is a very highly experienced economic, business and finance specialist, and we are delighted to have him join us as chairman," Toll said. "Not only is John a highly regarded economic strategist, he has significant networks across business, government and financial services, which we believe will help us build our business over the coming years," he said.
In accepting the appointment, Dr Hewson said, "Equiti Capital is a young business, but one that I believe shows significant potential. I think the US opportunities, on which Equiti is currently focused, represent one of the strongest investment opportunities in today’s markets. I am very pleased to be part of the future of this business."
