Westpac NZ and The Wellington Chamber of Commerce are excited to welcome you back for our first Westpac Smarts for 2021. Although we are in a new year, this does not mean the events of 2020 can be left in the past as the world is still grappling with the reality of living through a global pandemic.

New Zealand is in a much better position than many countries with minimal restrictions on our every day lives so it is easy to mistake our current situation, for ‘business as usual’.

As our first speaker for the year, Senior Economist at Westpac Satish Ranchhod will discuss how our economy fared in the wake of the Covid outbreak and what Wellington, and the rest of the country can expect to see over the next few years.

The presentation will include a look at the big drivers of economic activity including the housing market and interest rates.

As always, this event is free to members so register now to save your place.

Agenda:

12pm - Networking with tea & coffee

12.30pm - Presentation begins

1.15pm - Audience Q&A

1.30pm - Session ends

About the speaker:

Satish Ranchhod, Westpac NZ Senior Economist

Satish joined Westpac’s Economics team as a Senior Economist in October 2014. His work focuses on inflation, as well as developments in New Zealand's household and construction sectors.

Prior to joining Westpac, he was an adviser at the Reserve Bank of New Zealand. Much of his career has focused analysing and forecasting the New Zealand economy, with a particular focus on inflation.

Satish has also spent time as an economic researcher, leading the Reserve Bank’s analysis of the economic effects of the Canterbury earthquakes and its analysis of the global economy during the financial crisis.

Please note, while there are no restrictions on gatherings under Alert Level 1, we are following the Voluntary Code for event professionals. More details on this code are available here.