Besa Deda

Besa is the Chair of the Australian Business Economists, committed to fostering economic debate on economic issues and policy matters.

Besa was the Chief Economist of Westpac’s Business Bank up until recently and she was also the Chief Economist of St.George Bank, Bank of Melbourne, BankSA and BT, which are other businesses within the Westpac Group. Besa was with the Westpac Group as a Chief Economist from 2009 until 2024 and is a key spokesperson on the economy and financial markets. She is also a member of ANU’s Centre for Applied Macroeconomic Analysis RBA Shadow Board. Besa was appointed the Chief Economist of St.George Bank in 2008, a role which saw her become the first female Chief Economist of a bank in Australia.