A trusted advisor and thought leader, renowned for his geopolitical and economic insights and ability to distill complex economic trends into actionable insights.

Dr Simon Baptist is an accomplished and well-regarded economist with extensive experience in global economic analysis, forecasting and policy advisory. Currently serving as the Principal Economist for APAC at Visa, he is responsible for analysis and thought leadership on economics and business in Asia-Pacific and plays a pivotal role in providing strategic insights on economic trends and developments across the region. His expertise in translating complex economic concepts into actionable strategies makes him a sought-after speaker for financial services, corporate leaders and government officials.

Before joining Visa, Dr. Baptist was the Global Chief Economist at The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), where he led a global team of economists and analysts providing macroeconomic and geopolitical insights, covering 35 Asian economies along with 31 provinces and nearly 300 cities in China. Formerly also Asia Director for Custom Research, the EIU's consultancy arm, he has worked with governments to design and assess the impact of public policy and with companies to drive successful strategy and operational performance in Asia.

With two decades of experience as a professional economist, Simon Baptist has a global reputation for delivering economic and geopolitical insight. He previously spent time as a lecturer at Oxford University and as an economic consultant, advising many governments, multinational corporations, and international organizations around the world, focusing on climate change, productivity and development economics. He has published a number of academic articles, including in World Development, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A, University of Oxford working paper series and Global Journal of Emerging Market Economies as well as leading or contributing to a large number of EIU publications, such as the Global Economic Outlook and wrote the `From Our Chief Economist' newsletter for nearly 10 years. He is frequently invited to participate on TV and in other international media.

An engaging and renowned economic communicator, he speaks at large business conferences and investment forums and is asked to present at client engagements, in both small intimate groups as well as larger scale events. He is often requested to provide confidential internal briefings to company Board strategy meetings or to regional or global business planning sessions. He is also a sought-after moderator who provides objectivity and depth to panel discussions. His geographic coverage is global with a focus on economies in Asia, the UK and Australia.

Simon has a doctorate in Economics from Oxford University where his research investigated productivity and technology in emerging market manufacturing firms. He holds degrees in Economics and Science from the University of Tasmania. He was brought up in Australia, has lived in the UK and now resides in Singapore.

Sample presentation topics:

• What we can expect from the world economy, incorporating scenarios for post-Brexit Europe, the future of the Euro zone, the USA post presidential elections and other potential developments.
• Outlook for Asia and key emerging markets.
• Briefings can include segments focused on business productivity, international competitiveness, Asia and Australasia cross-regional issues, the environment, energy, climate change, commodities, international trade, economic development and taxation policy.