Jo is the Chief economist for EY’s Oceania region and has been an active part of the economic debate in Australia for the last 20 years. Passionate about driving discussions around the traditional and disruptive forces that shape the economy. Jo is a well-regarded thought leader across economic and policy issues in Australia and the global economy more broadly. Prior to joining EY, Jo was a Senior Economist in the Australian Economics Research team at ANZ, where she spearheaded research on inflation, the retail sector, and housing. Prior to that, Jo spent over a decade at Macquarie Bank.
Jo has been extensively involved in the banking sector with a primary focus on economic research and trends, currency strategy, sales, and analysing key economic markers ranging from the labour market, to inflation, to consumption. Jo’s breadth of experience has driven her interest in bringing the macro narrative to business conversations across Australia. Jo believes that when you are thinking about what can go right, or wrong, in your business, it most likely starts at the macroeconomic level.
As a leading female in economics, Jo works to champion women’s equality in the workforce and be a driving voice for better gender outcomes. Jo has a keen interest in female financial literacy and promoting economics to young women. She sits on the Advisory Board for the Finance Women’s Index, which aims to measure the economic progress of Australia’s women. She is also involved with SheStarts, an accelerator program for female entrepreneurs in the tech space.
Additionally, she is committed to giving back to the community and has been involved with Gold Week at the Sydney Children’s Hospital the FoodBank, and The Smith Family. Jo has a Bachelor of Commerce, Master of Economics, and was awarded the Senior Prize in Economics.