Budget Briefing – Sydney

Shane Oliver joined AMP in 1984, becoming Chief Economist in 1994 and is now Chief Economist and Head of Investment Strategy of AMP. Shane has extensive experience analysing economic and investment cycles and what current positioning means for the return potential for different asset classes such as shares, bonds, property and infrastructure. Shane is a regular media commentator on economic and investment market issues and engages regularly with investors at public events and forums.

Shane is Head of the Investment Strategy and Economics team, responsible for the provision of economic and macro investment analysis which is applied across AMP’s multi-asset funds.

Shane has a PhD in economics which focussed on the validly of the Efficient Market Hypothesis (it isn’t) and asset price bubbles (there are). Apart from economics and macro investing, Shane enjoys boating, garden rearrangement, fantasy novels and pop music (particularly Elvis, Burt Bacharach, the Beach Boys, the Pet Shop Boys, Kylie, Katy and Taylor) and is married with two children.

The founder of JWS Research, John is a senior researcher with more than 30 years of experience. He has extensive commercial and public affairs research expertise and is quoted regularly and extensively in the media as a leading source on public opinion.

John has worked for a diverse array of clients across the government and private sectors, providing a wealth of knowledge upon which to base tailored advice to clients around contemporary issues. He has conducted research for numerous high-profile communications and advertising campaigns and his sage advice is often sought by corporate and political decision makers.
John is a career researcher, specialising in research on contemporary social and political issues and maintaining a focus on delivering clear and actionable results. John dissects what people are thinking and why, providing the insights needed to drive successful outcomes.

John is a full member of The Research Society.

Mary Delahunty is the Chief Executive Officer of the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia Limited (ASFA).

ASFA is the peak policy, research and advocacy body for Australia’s superannuation industry. It is a not-for-profit, sector-neutral, and non-party political, national organisation. ASFA’s mission is to continuously improve the superannuation system, so all Australians can enjoy a dignified retirement.

Mary joined ASFA in 2024 after founding Seven Advisory, a specialist ESG and impact advisory service to institutional investors developing their social license to deliver long-term value. Prior to that Mary was Head of Impact at HESTA where she played a key role in shaping strategic policies and responsible investment practices to advance member outcomes in the superannuation system. She was also previously an executive with Link Market Services.

Mary is a member of the Pensions & Investment World Pension Summit International Advisory Board and holds several board positions including in the RegTech and education sectors and was a 2015 Churchill Fellow awarded for international research on gender equity in retirement outcomes.

Mary studied Arts at the University of Melbourne, and later completed a Graduate Diploma of Financial Planning and then a Masters of Applied Finance.

Kaila has more than two decades experience successfully running social impact campaigns, providing strategic communications and policy development advice to leaders across all sectors of the Australian economy.

As the first and only female General Secretary of the 132-year-old New South Wales Labor Party, Kaila has unrivalled experience managing campaigns at the local, state and federal level.
Kaila’s in-depth knowledge of campaigns, policy development, media and stakeholder engagement means clients have access to unique insights to building universal support to achieve their objectives.

Kaila is a member of the World Economic Forum Global Forum of Young Leaders, an accelerator for a dynamic community of exceptional people with the vision, courage, and influence to drive positive change in the world.

Growing up on small farm outside of Narrabri in North-Western New South Wales before moving to Sydney to attend university, Kaila holds a Bachelor of Social Science, Graduate Diploma in Management, Graduate Diploma in Psychology, and a Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours).