Nicholas Gruen
Encyclopedia
Nicholas John GruenNicholas John Gruen (22 April 1957 in Beacon Hill, New South Wales
is a prominent Australia
n economist
and commentator on Web 2.0 and the CEO of Lateral Economics and Chairman of Kaggle
, Peach Financial and Online Opinion. He is also a board member of Sustainability Victoria.
before going on to receive a Bachelor of Laws
from the University of Melbourne
in 1981 and a Bachelor of Arts
with first class honours from the Australian National University
in Canberra
in 1982. In 1989 he received a Graduate Diploma in Economics and Finance and in 1996 a PhD
in economics, both from the Australian National University.
and Federal Industry Minister John Button
from 1981 to 1985 and in this time played a major role in the development of the Button car plan
, an initiative to prepare the Australian car industry for a period of rationalisation and lower tariffs.
From 1990 to 1993 economic adviser to Treasurer
John Dawkins
and then was appointed to the Productivity Commission
for one year in 1993 and for five years in 1994. In 1997 he joined the Business Council of Australia
where he remained until 2000 when he founded and became CEO of two firms, economic consultancy Lateral Economics and the innovative business model of a finance broker who rebates part of their commission Peach Home Loans. In this period he has advised Federal and State Governments as a consultant and on various government appointed committees. In 2008 Gruen became a board member of Sustainability Victoria. In 2011 he was appointed to the board of Innovation Australia.
Gruen has become prominent in public economic discussion. He had a weekly economic column for the Courier Mail
and also writes for the Australian Financial Review. Other media activities include filling in for Ross Gittins
' column in the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age
by Gittins' request and appearing on the radio station
Triple J. He has also is a regular contributor to the popular blog Club Troppo and is an author on On Line Opinion
. He has held visiting fellow
ships at the University of Melbourne
and the Australian National University
.
He was a member of the Federal Government's Review of the Australian Innovation System in 2008 and chaired the Government 2.0 Taskforce for the Australian Government. The Government has subsequently accepted all of the major recommendations of the Taskforce.
Gruen was also one of the early investors into Kaggle (a Melbourne based data analytics company founded in 2010). He served Kaggle’s first chairman.
and the brother of Federal Treasury
official David Gruen.
Beacon Hill, New South Wales
Beacon Hill is a suburb of northern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Beacon Hill is located 17 kilometres north-east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Warringah Council and is part of the Northern Beaches region.-History:Beacon Hill was...
is a prominent Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n economist
Economist
An economist is a professional in the social science discipline of economics. The individual may also study, develop, and apply theories and concepts from economics and write about economic policy...
and commentator on Web 2.0 and the CEO of Lateral Economics and Chairman of Kaggle
Kaggle
Kaggle is a platform for data analytics competitions founded in April 2010. Companies and researchers post their data. Statisticians and data miners from all over the world compete to produce the best models...
, Peach Financial and Online Opinion. He is also a board member of Sustainability Victoria.
Education
Gruen attended Campbell HighCampbell High School (Australian Capital Territory)
Campbell High School is a school in Campbell, an inner suburb of Canberra, Australia, for students in years 7-10 in the Australian Capital Territory's education system....
before going on to receive a Bachelor of Laws
Bachelor of Laws
The Bachelor of Laws is an undergraduate, or bachelor, degree in law originating in England and offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree...
from the University of Melbourne
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
in 1981 and a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
with first class honours from the Australian National University
Australian National University
The Australian National University is a teaching and research university located in the Australian capital, Canberra.As of 2009, the ANU employs 3,945 administrative staff who teach approximately 10,000 undergraduates, and 7,500 postgraduate students...
in Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
in 1982. In 1989 he received a Graduate Diploma in Economics and Finance and in 1996 a PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in economics, both from the Australian National University.
Career
Gruen worked as adviser to SenatorAustralian Senate
The Senate is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives. Senators are popularly elected under a system of proportional representation. Senators are elected for a term that is usually six years; after a double dissolution, however,...
and Federal Industry Minister John Button
John Button
John Norman Button was an Australian politician, who served as a senior minister in the Hawke and Keating Labor governments...
from 1981 to 1985 and in this time played a major role in the development of the Button car plan
Button car plan
The Button car plan, also known as the Button plan was the informal name given to the Motor Industry Development Plan. The plan was an Australian federal government initiative, intended to rationalise the Australian motor vehicle industry. Industry consultation had begun in 1984 with a proposed...
, an initiative to prepare the Australian car industry for a period of rationalisation and lower tariffs.
From 1990 to 1993 economic adviser to Treasurer
Treasurer of Australia
The Treasurer of Australia is the minister in the Government of Australia responsible for government expenditure and revenue raising. He is the head of the Department of the Treasury. The Treasurer plays a key role in the economic policy of the government...
John Dawkins
John Dawkins
John Sydney "Joe" Dawkins, AO , Australian politician, was Treasurer in the Keating Labor government from December 1991 to December 1993...
and then was appointed to the Productivity Commission
Productivity Commission
The Productivity Commission is the Australian Government's principal review and advisory body on microeconomic policy and regulation. It is an independent statutory authority in the Treasury Portfolio and responds to references from the Treasurer...
for one year in 1993 and for five years in 1994. In 1997 he joined the Business Council of Australia
Business Council of Australia
The Business Council of Australia represents the chief executives of approximately 100 large Australian corporations. It was formed in 1983 by the merger of the Business Roundtable - a spin-off of the Committee for Economic Development of Australia - and the Australian Industry Development...
where he remained until 2000 when he founded and became CEO of two firms, economic consultancy Lateral Economics and the innovative business model of a finance broker who rebates part of their commission Peach Home Loans. In this period he has advised Federal and State Governments as a consultant and on various government appointed committees. In 2008 Gruen became a board member of Sustainability Victoria. In 2011 he was appointed to the board of Innovation Australia.
Gruen has become prominent in public economic discussion. He had a weekly economic column for the Courier Mail
The Courier-Mail
The Courier-Mail is a daily newspaper published in Brisbane, Australia. Owned by News Limited, it is published daily from Monday to Saturday in tabloid format. Its editorial offices are located at Bowen Hills, in Brisbane's inner northern suburbs, and it is printed at Murarrie, in Brisbane's...
and also writes for the Australian Financial Review. Other media activities include filling in for Ross Gittins
Ross Gittins
Ross Gittins AM is an Australian political and economic journalist and author.-Early Life and Education:Ross Roderick Gittins was born 13 February 1948 in Newcastle, New South Wales where his family were living at New Lambton. His parents, Salvation Army officers moved to Sydney and Ross started...
' column in the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age
The Age
The Age is a daily broadsheet newspaper, which has been published in Melbourne, Australia since 1854. Owned and published by Fairfax Media, The Age primarily serves Victoria, but is also available for purchase in Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and border regions of South Australia and...
by Gittins' request and appearing on the radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
Triple J. He has also is a regular contributor to the popular blog Club Troppo and is an author on On Line Opinion
On Line Opinion
On Line Opinion is an electronic opinion journal, founded in 1999 by political commentator and strategist Graham Edward Young, a former president of the Queensland branch of the Liberal Party of Australia, and edited by Susan Prior...
. He has held visiting fellow
Fellow
A fellow in the broadest sense is someone who is an equal or a comrade. The term fellow is also used to describe a person, particularly by those in the upper social classes. It is most often used in an academic context: a fellow is often part of an elite group of learned people who are awarded...
ships at the University of Melbourne
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
and the Australian National University
Australian National University
The Australian National University is a teaching and research university located in the Australian capital, Canberra.As of 2009, the ANU employs 3,945 administrative staff who teach approximately 10,000 undergraduates, and 7,500 postgraduate students...
.
He was a member of the Federal Government's Review of the Australian Innovation System in 2008 and chaired the Government 2.0 Taskforce for the Australian Government. The Government has subsequently accepted all of the major recommendations of the Taskforce.
Gruen was also one of the early investors into Kaggle (a Melbourne based data analytics company founded in 2010). He served Kaggle’s first chairman.
Family
Gruen is the son of prominent Australian economist Fred GruenFred Gruen
Fred Henry George Gruen was an Australian economist, an early and influential voice in favour of free trade and tariff reductions in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early life and education:...
and the brother of Federal Treasury
Department of the Treasury (Australia)
The Department of the Treasury is an Australian Government department. Its role is to focus and develop economic policy.-History:The Commonwealth Treasury was established in Melbourne in January 1901....
official David Gruen.