BDO appoints Anders Magnusson as inaugural chief economist in Australia
Accounting and consulting firm BDO has appointed Adelaide-based partner Anders Magnusson to the newly-created chief economist role, following in the footsteps of its fellow Australian mid-tiers.
An economics graduate of the University of Adelaide, Magnusson has been with BDO in South Australia for the best part of a decade, where he has led the local economics team since becoming a partner in 2022.
While the chief economist role has traditionally been one of the most publicly prominent among the Big Four, Australia’s mid-tier advisory firms are now getting in on the act, with William Buck also recently appointing an inaugural chief economist.
Citing the major transition currently underway in Australia due to factors such as climate change and emerging technologies, BDO chief executive Tony Schiffman said; “The economic environment is the number one issue keeping our clients up at night. This appointment ensures we are well positioned to offer calm, deliberate and actionable insight on the structural shifts shaping our next decade.”
As BDO’s first chief economist, Magnusson will assume responsibility for leading the firm’s macroeconomic analysis in support of its partners and staff delivering client advice, while also likely being tasked with getting the message out to the national media, with the likes of Deloitte’s former economics lead Chris Richardson becoming familiar names on TV and in print.
While Magnussen has put in almost a decade at BDO, joining in 2016, his appointment to the prominent role punctuates an appreciably rapid ascent, having only completed his bachelor’s the year prior and undertaken brief internships with the South Australia premier’s department and the UN’s Asia Pacific economic and social council in Thailand before coming on board.
Since then, Magnussen has quickly climbed the ranks, being admitted to BDO’s partnership in 2022 and leading the economics team’s analysis and modelling work for both government and private sector clients across a wide range of industries, including with a particular focus on fisheries, agriculture, forestry, natural resources, infrastructure, tourism, and healthcare.
“An evolving geopolitical landscape coupled with disruptors such as AI and the energy transition means businesses will need incisive analysis and modelling,” Magnussen said. “I relish the opportunity to make sense of economic trends for our clients and identify the risks and opportunities that really matter to guide them through this period of transformation.”
Magnussen’s appointment follows that of Besa Deda as chief wonk at William Buck, described at the time as a first among Australia’s mid-tiers. Meanwhile, the Big Four has seen somewhat of transition of late, with Amy Auster and then Amy Lomas taking over from Jeremy Thorpe (now consulting boss at Bondi Partners), and Cherelle Murphy succeeding Jo Masters in 2022.
