 Speaker Biographies
Alan Oster, Group Chief Economist, NAB
Alan joined the Bank in 1992 from the Federal Treasury where he worked for 15 years - his special field being economic forecasting and monetary policy. He grew up in Newcastle and graduated (with first class honours) in economics from Newcastle University. He also holds a Masters degree in economics from the Australian National University. Immediately before joining the Bank, Alan was the Senior Adviser in Treasury responsible for economic forecasting and modelling. In 1987 he was seconded for nearly four years as Counsellor-Economic and Financial with Australia’s delegation to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development in Paris. As Group Chief Economist, Alan is responsible for NAB’s global economic and financial forecasts. He is also a highly respected and much quoted commentator on Australian and global economic trends and policy issues.
Kyle Mangini, Global Head of Infrastructure, IFM Investors
Kyle is responsible for implementing IFM’s infrastructure investment strategy and has ultimate investment responsibility for the Australian Infrastructure Fund and the Global Infrastructure Fund. Kyle is also a member of the IFM Investors Investment Committee. Kyle has more than 25 years’ experience in investment banking and asset management, including senior roles with CSFB and SBC Warburg. He has infrastructure experience in Asia, Australia, Europe as well as North and South America. His relevant transaction experience includes the execution of mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, initial public offerings, public bond offerings, private placements, commercial bank facilities and derivatives..
Sara James, Consultant, Bespoke Approach
Sara James is an Emmy Award-winning broadcast journalist and author. James has covered significant news events in Australasia for NBC, CNN and PBS. James is a featured commentator on Australia’s ABC News Breakfast. Her “American in Oz” segment provides detailed analysis of the US political landscape.
Prior to moving to Australia in 2008, James was based in New York City for NBC News for more than a decade. Her reporting duties took her to all fifty of the United States and around the world, including Somalia, Sudan, Bosnia, Israel, China, Japan and the Khyber Pass. She also travelled to the wreck of the Titanic in the submarine Nautile. James served as a substitute newsreader on the NBC Today Show and guest anchored on many NBC news programs.
James has been honoured with a Headliner Award for her report on a victim of the September 11 attacks, a Gracie for her story about methamphetamine addiction in women, an Emmy for coverage of the massacre at Columbine High School in Colorado, a National Press Club Award for her story on Sudanese slavery, and the Overseas Press Club of America Citation of Excellence for her report on Australia’s Stolen Generation.
James is Board Director of the American Australian Association Limited and Australian-American Fulbright Commission, the Vice President of KCNQ2 Cure Alliance, and a co-founder of Genetic Epilepsy Team Australia.
Sara James is the author of An American in Oz (Allen & Unwin), co-author of The Best of Friends (HarperCollins) and editor of An Extraordinary School (ACER Press).
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