John Hewson is an economic and financial expert with experience in academia, business, government and the financial system.
Dr Hewson’s political career spanned eight years as a Member for Wentworth in the Federal Parliament. He was Shadow Finance Minister, Shadow Treasurer and Shadow Minister for Industry and Commerce and the Leader of the Liberal Party and the Coalition in Opposition for four years.
Dr Hewson has worked as an economist for the Australian Treasury (Census and Statistics), the Reserve Bank, the International Monetary Fund and as an advisor to two successive Federal Treasurers and the Prime Minister.
Dr Hewson’s business career, before entering politics in 1987, was as a company director and business consultant and included roles as Executive Director, MacQuarie Bank Limited and as a Trustee of a major private superannuation fund.
Since leaving politics in early 1995, Dr Hewson has run his own investment banking business and is currently Member, Advisory Council of ABN AMRO. In addition, he is Chairman, Global Renewables Limited, Australian Bus Manufacturing Company Pty Limited, Strategic Capital Management, Belle Property and Osteoporosis Australia. He is Vice Chairman of GRD Limited and a Director of GRD Kirfield, Netra Services and the Positive Aging Foundation and President of the Arthritis Foundation. He is also a Director of a number of other public and private companies.
A principal focus of Dr Hewson’s career has been in Asia, where he has a wealth of contacts and experience in both Government and business, having operated in Asia for the last 25 years in each of the areas mentioned above, as well as a consultant to business, government and international agencies such as the IMF, UNESCAP and ADB.
Dr Hewson has a B.Ec (Hons) from the University of Sydney; an M.A. from the University of Saskatchewan, Canada; and an M.A. and Ph.D. from the John Hopkins University in the USA. His academic career included 11 years as the Professor of Economics and 4 years as Head of the School of Economics at the University of New South Wales.
