Areas Of Expertise:

• Hugh has held executive and non-executive roles in banking and professional services, in Australia, Asia-Pacific, and globally, since 1987.

Education:

• Professor of Practice (Global Economy), University of Sydney, 2020-
• Adjunct Professor, School of Economics, Sydney University, 2018-2020
• Adjunct Professor, Sydney University Business School, 2012-2018
• University of Sydney, Bachelor’s degree, Economics, Hons I
• University of Sydney, Bachelor’s degree, Law, Hons II
• University of Cambridge, Master’s Degree, Economics, (with distinction)

About Hugh

As a leader in providing best-practice program management to Australian corporates, governments, and not-for-profits, Hugh is currently a Strategic Advisor to Seven Consulting. Hugh teaches economics at Sydney University, with a particular focus on understanding the world today in the context of the past 1000 years of global economic, legal, and social change. He also chairs Cancer Council Australia.

What Hugh brings

• A personal focus on people, teamwork, and delivery.
• Global experience and insights on trends in banking, financial and professional services, programme delivery and education.
• Over 20 years’ experience in the leadership and delivery of complex programmes, mostly in banking
• Over 20 year’s experience in leading large and complex businesses, across Australia and Asia-Pacific
• Over 30 years practical experience in all facets of banking and financial services, both in executive and non-executive roles, and as an advisor
• An optimistic outlook on life

Key Achievements:

From 2014-2018, Hugh was responsible for leading PwC’s global financial services business across North and South Asia, including assurance, consulting and tax. Reflecting changes in the global structure of PwC, Hugh was also responsible for global emerging markets in 2015 and 2016, including South America, Africa, Middle East and Russia/CEE. Hugh was a member of PwC’s Global Financial Services Leadership Team 2014-2018. In 2018/19, Hugh was responsible in PwC for the Hayne Royal Commission into Banking.
From 2009-14, Hugh led PwC’s Financial Services practice (banks, insurers, wealth managers) across Australia (assurance, consulting and tax).

Group Executive, Retail Banking and Group Strategy at Commonwealth Bank (CBA). Hugh joined CBA as an economist in the government-owned bank in 1987 and left the fully-privatised bank in 2007 having worked right across the institution, including five years on the Executive Committee running the largest business unit (Retail Banking, 2002-2006) and Group Strategy (2006-2007).