Search
SUBSCRIBE

Our Team

The e61 Institute is passionate about developing Australia’s talent pool in the field of economics and econometrics.

We welcome applications from candidates that are intellectually curious and have an outstanding track record, who want to develop their research skills while working on the most interesting economic challenges in the private and public sectors.

Team

Michael Brennan is the CEO at the e61 Institute
Find out more

Michael Brennan

Chief Executive Officer

Gianni La Cava is a Research Director at the e61 Institute
Find out more

Gianni La Cava

Research Director

Sarah Hipsley is the Chief Operating Officer at the e61 Institute
Find out more

Sarah Hipsley

Chief Operating Officer

Francesca Gnocchi is the Operations Director at the e61 Institute
Find out more

Francesca Gnocchi​

Operations Director

Andrea Way is the Operations Manager at the e61 Institute
Find out more

Andrea Way

Operations Manager

Rebecca Nash is the Media and Communications Executive at the e61 Institute
Find out more

Rebecca Nash

Media and Communications Executive

Rose Khattar is a Senior Public Policy Manager at the e61 Institute
Find out more

Rose Khattar

Senior Public Policy Manager

Matt Nolan is a Senior Research Manager at the e61 Institute
Find out more

Matt Nolan

Senior Research Manager

Pelin Akyol is a Research Manager at the e61 Institute
Find out more

Pelin Akyol

Research Manager

Nick Garvin is a Research Manager at the e61 Institute
Find out more

Nick Garvin

Research Manager

Silvia Griselda is a Research Manager at the e61 Institute
Find out more

Silvia Griselda

Research Manager

Ewan Rankin is a Research Manager at the e61 Institute
Find out more

Ewan Rankin

Research Manager

Lachlan Vass is a Research Manager at the e61 Institute
Find out more

Lachlan Vass

Research Manager

Jack Buckley is a Principal Economist at the e61 Institute
Find out more

Jack Buckley

Principal Economist

Shogher Ohannessian is a Principal Economist at the e61 Institute
Find out more

Shogher Ohannessian

Principal Economist

Ali Yasin Vergili is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the e61 Institute
Find out more

Ali Yasin Vergili

Postdoctoral Researcher

Erin Clarke is a Senior Research Economist at the e61 Institute
Find out more

Erin Clarke

Senior Research Economist

Elyse Dwyer is is a Senior Research Economist at the e61 Institute
Find out more

Elyse Dwyer

Senior Research Economist

Matthew Maltman is is a Senior Research Economist at the e61 Institute
Find out more

Matthew Maltman

Senior Research Economist

Aaron Wong is a Senior Research Economist at the e61 Institute
Find out more

Aaron Wong

Senior Research Economist

Theo Gibbons is a Research Economist at the e61 Institute
Find out more

Theo Gibbons

Research Economist

Rachel Lee is a Research Economist at the e61 Institute
Find out more

Rachel Lee

Research Economist

Harshit Shah is a Research Economist at the e61 Institute
Find out more

Harshit Shah

Research Economist

Tiya is a Pre-doctorate Economist at the e61 institute
Find out more

Tiya Banerjee

Pre-doctorate Economist

Josh Clyne is a Pre-doctorate Economist at the e61 Institute
Find out more

Josh Clyne

Pre-doctorate Economist

Aditya is a Pre-doctorate Economist at the e61 institute
Find out more

Aditya Maitra

Pre-doctorate Economist

Anil is a Pre-doctorate Economist at the e61 institute
Find out more

Anil Palan

Pre-doctorate Economist

Hamish Thomas is a Pre-doctorate Economist at the e61 Institute
Find out more

Hamish Thomas

Pre-doctorate Economist

Amy Tramontozzi is a Pre-doctorate Economist at the e61 Institute
Find out more

Amy Tramontozzi

Pre-doctorate Economist

e61_Institute-Michael_Brennan-9595

Michael Brennan

Chief Executive Officer

michael.brennan@e61.in

Twitter Linkedin-in

Michael Brennan is the CEO of the e61 Institute. He is an experienced economic policy professional, having been a former Chair of the Australian Productivity Commission and Deputy Secretary of the Australian Treasury. He has also worked as a Deputy Secretary in the Victorian Treasury, and as a consultant as well as an adviser to Federal and State Treasurers and Ministers for Finance.

e61_Institute-Gianni_La_Cava-0471

Gianni La Cava

Research Director

gianni.lacava@e61.in

Twitter Linkedin-in

Gianni La Cava is Research Director at the e61 Institute. He previously held several senior positions at the Reserve Bank of Australia, including leading a research team – Micro Analysis and Data (MAD) – dedicated to examining macroeconomic issues using microeconomic data. Gianni holds a PhD in Economics from the London School of Economics and a Bachelor of Arts/Commerce from the University of Sydney.

Gianni’s research focuses on answering big policy questions with micro data and covers topics such as household wellbeing, inequality, the housing market, and the role of the financial sector in the economy.

​​For more information about Gianni's publications go here.

e61_Institute-Sarah_Hipsley-7941

Sarah Hipsley

Chief Operating Officer

sarah.hipsley@e61.in

Sarah Hipsley is Chief Operating Officer at the e61 Institute. Sarah is an experienced operations leader and has a decade of experience in non-partisan research and public-facing institutions. Sarah previously served as Chief Operating Officer at the Lowy Institute, overseeing finance, communications, events, and business development. She also has several years of experience in the education sector, leading strategic stakeholder engagement.

e61_Institute-Francessa_Gnocchi-9442

Francesca Gnocchi

Operations Director

francesca.gnocchi@e61.in

Twitter Linkedin-in

Francesca has been working within operation roles for over 7 years. She completed a bachelor's degree in Bank and Finance in Italy and then worked as Data Analyst in an energy consulting company. Since moving to Australia, she has worked in different industries. Her focus at e61 is to help build operations systems and to create and foster a collaborative and positive culture.

e61_Institute-Andrea_Way-9678

Andrea Way

Operations Manager

andrea.way@e61.in

Linkedin-in

Andrea is the Operations Manager at the e61 Institute, bringing more than 30 years of experience across executive support, office management and business operations in both London and Australia.

She oversees the day-to-day operations of the Institute, supporting the team across people and culture, finance, events, recruitment, IT, governance and office management. Andrea also plays a key role in coordinating e61’s events and workshops and supporting the Institute’s broader operational needs.

Known for her strong organisational skills and practical, hands-on approach, Andrea works across the organisation to ensure e61’s people, processes and operations run smoothly and effectively.

Nash_Rebecca_799-0019

Rebecca Nash

Media and Communications Executive

Rebecca.nash@e61.in

Rebecca Nash is an experienced media and communications professional specialising in making complex policy, regulatory, and economic issues accessible and meaningful to broad audiences. With a background spanning journalism, public affairs, and strategic communications, Rebecca thrives on collaborating with experts to translate technical insights into clear, engaging content that builds public understanding and trust.

e61_Institute-Rose_Khattar-3437

Rose Khattar

Senior Public Policy Manager

rose.khattar@e61.in

Linkedin-in

Rose Khattar is a Senior Public Policy Manager at the e61 Institute. She has worked in the public and not-for-profit sectors on a range of public policy issues, with her career spanning Australia, the United States and international organisations.

Rose holds a Master’s in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School and a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Economics from the University of New South Wales, where she received the University Medal in economics.

e61_Institute-Matt_Nolan-9471

Matt Nolan

Senior Research Manager

matt.nolan@e61.in

Twitter Linkedin-in

Matt is a Senior Research Manager at the e61 Institute. His research is focused on analysing income distributions using microdata, with a focus on how taxes, transfers, and changes in labour market settings influence the distribution of income.

Matt previously worked at the Inland Revenue Department of New Zealand and as a teaching fellow at Victoria University of Wellington. He holds a PhD in Philosophy (Economics) from Victoria University of Wellington.

e61_Institute-Pelin_Akyol-9346

Pelin Akyol

Research Manager

pelin.akyol@e61.in

Twitter Linkedin-in

Pelin Akyol, with a Ph.D. in Economics from Penn State University, is an applied economist with a diverse research portfolio in the fields of Economics of Education, Labour Economics, Demographic Economics, and Health Economics. 

 

Leveraging both structural and reduced-form methodologies, her research examines factors influencing both educational and labour market decisions, as well as their impact on social issues and public programs, with a special focus on gender and demographic inequalities. Her research outputs have been published in top economics journals and featured in VoxEU and EducationWeek.  Additionally, she has secured several research grants and fellowships. She has also been a research fellow at the Global Labor Organization (GLO) and Economic Research Forum (ERF).

 

Dr. Akyol also brings extensive academic experience. She has served as an Assistant Professor at Bilkent University in Turkey, where she supervised several postgraduate students in applied microeconomics and taught several courses at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. She also served in various administrative roles and academic research committees. 

 

For further information on Dr. Akyol's work, please visit her website: https://spelinakyol.weebly.com/

e61_Institute-Nick_Garvin-9518

Nick Garvin

Research Manager

nick.garvin@e61.in

Linkedin-in

Nick specialises in microdata research for economic and financial-system policy. He has 15 years of research experience at e61, RBA and APRA on topics related to housing, mobility, superannuation, financial stability, financial markets, and payments, and has been an econometrics lecturer at UNSW. Nick holds a PhD in Economics from Pompeu Fabra University, a Masters in Economics from London School of Economics, and Bachelor Degrees in Economics and Psychology from Macquarie University.

e61_Institute-Silvia_Griselda-3330

Silvia Griselda

Research Manager

silvia.griselda@e61.in

Twitter Linkedin-in

Silvia Griselda is an accomplished economist dedicated to fostering diversity and inclusion within economics. Her educational background and professional experience have made her a key advocate for women's representation and advancement in the field.

 

She earned her PhD in Economics from the University of Melbourne and subsequently contributed to the AXA Gender Lab at Bocconi University as an academic. Currently, she is the Research Manager at the Education and Human Capital Unit of the e61 Institute, leading impactful projects on the gender pay gap, childcare, labour force participation, and education policies.

 

Her research has been published in renowned academic journals and featured in outlets such as The Conversation, Vox EU, the Australian Financial Review (AFR), and The Australian. Her accolades include the UniCredit Foundation’s Best Paper Award in Gender Economics and the Mardi Dungey Prize for Best Paper at ANU.

e61_Institute-3547

Ewan Rankin

Research Manager

ewan.rankin@e61.in

Linkedin-in

Ewan is a research manager focused on our Productivity and Structural Analysis workstream. Ewan has more than a decade of experience in economic analysis to support monetary policy at the Reserve Bank of Australia. He has an Economics honours degree from University of Sydney and an MPA from Princeton University.

e61_Institute-Lachlan_Vass-3384

Lachlan Vass​

Research Manager

lachlan.vass@e61.in

Twitter Linkedin-in

Lachlan is a Research Manager at the e61 Institute. He leads work at the intersection of economics, data, and public policy, with a current focus on immigration, productivity, and firm dynamics.

Lachlan’s work experience spans the private and public sectors, both in Australia and internationally, across a range of policy areas, including social policy, financial markets, trade, and labour markets.

Lachlan holds a Honours in Economics from the University of Melbourne. He is currently undertaking a PhD (Economics) at the Australian National University.

e61_Institute-Jack_Buckley-9942

Jack Buckley

Principal Economist

jack.buckley@e61.in

Twitter Linkedin-in

Jack Buckley is a Principal Economist at the e61 Institute where he works on topics related to labour economics, education and public finance. His recent research has examined the economic impact of labour market regulations, the design of Australia’s higher education financing system, and challenges in strengthening Australia's teacher workforce.

Jack graduated from the University of New South Wales with First Class Honours and the University Medal in economics and a Bachelor of Science majoring in statistics.

Ohannessian_Shogher_708-0143

Shogher Ohannessian

Principal Economist

shogher.ohannessian@e61.in

Shogher Ohannessian is a Principal Economist at the e61 Institute. Her research focuses on public assistance programs that are intended to support low-income households and improve economic opportunity. Her doctoral work demonstrates how substantial financial incentives from programs can improve educational and employment outcomes for young adults. She has also examined the impact of pandemic-era stimulus payments on real-time spending inequality in the United States.

Shogher holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Illinois Chicago, as well as an M.A. and B.A. in Economics from the American University of Beirut.

e61_Institute-Ali_Yasin_Vergili-0069

Ali Yasin Vergili

Postdoctoral Researcher

Ali.vergili@e61.in

Linkedin-in

Ali Vergili is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the e61 Institute. His research uses large-scale administrative and survey microdata to study fertility and family policy, labour-market behaviour, and the household consequences of health shocks. 

Ali completed a PhD in Economics at the University of Technology Sydney. 

e61_Institute-Erin_Clarke-9992

Erin Clarke

Senior Research Economist

erin.clarke@e61.in

Twitter Linkedin-in

Erin is a Senior Research Economist at the e61 Institute where she works across the education and social policy workstreams. Her research has explored topics related to social policy, structural policy, education, and labour economics.

Erin graduated from the University of Technology Sydney where she earned First Class Honours and the University Medal in Economics.

e61_Institute-Elyse_Dwyel-9798

Elyse Dwyer

Research Economist

elyse.dwyer@e61.in

Twitter Linkedin-in

Elyse is a Research Economist at the e61 Institute, her research areas cover structural reform, labour markets, education and housing. Elyse holds a University Medal and First Class Honours in Economics from the University of Queensland.

Matt_Maltman-7986

Matthew Maltman

Senior Research Economist

matthew.maltman@e61.in

Twitter Linkedin-in

Matthew Maltman is a Senior Research Economist at the e61 institute. He specialises in applied microeconomics, with research spanning tax-transfer policy, labour markets, gambling, and productivity. His published academic work has examined the effects of zoning reform on housing supply and rents. Prior to joining e61, Matt worked at the Australian Productivity Commission and holds a First-Class Honours degree in Economics from the University of Western Australia.

e61_Institute-Aaron_Wong-9649

Aaron Wong

Senior Research Economist

aaron.wong@e61.in

Twitter Linkedin-in

Aaron Wong is a senior research economist at e61 Institute. His research focuses on the intersection of labour and urban economics, using micro data to understand how location shapes the decisions made by Australians on where to live and work.

Aaron previously worked at the Reserve Bank of Australia, where he analysed Australia’s housing markets, contributed to economic forecasts and examined financial risk to the RBA’s domestic portfolio.

He holds a Bachelor of Economics (Honours) and Bachelor of Commerce from the University of New South Wales where he graduated with First Class Honours and the University Medal in Economics.

e61_Institute-Theo_Gibbons-9806

Theo Gibbons

Research Economist

theo.gibbons@e61.in

Linkedin-in

Theo is a Research Economist at the e61 Institute. He is currently conducting research on the NDIS. His past research has explored topics related to housing and other social policy issues.

He holds a Bachelor of Advanced Finance and Economics with First Class Honours in Economics from the University of Queensland.

e61_Institute-Rachel_Lee-0337

Rachel Lee

Research Economist

rachel.lee@e61.in

Linkedin-in

Rachel is a Research Economist at the e61 Institute. She holds a Bachelor of Philosophy with First Class Honours in Economics from the University of Western Australia. Prior to e61, Rachel completed the graduate program at Deloitte Access Economics where she worked on projects in the digital economy, education, tourism, and other sectors.

Rachel is currently conducting research in structural policy reform, including states’ payroll taxes and its effects on firm growth, and entrepreneurship and innovation in Australia.

A Counterproductive Tax Cut? How Size-Based Payroll Taxes Can Create A Roadblock To Firm Growthhttps://e61.in/a-counterproductive-tax-cut-how-size-based-payroll-taxes-can-create-a-roadblock-to-firm-growth/

Harshit_Shah-7955

Harshit Shah

Research Economist

harshit.shah@e61.in

Twitter Linkedin-in

Harshit Shah is a Research Economist at the e61 Institute. He holds a master's degree in economics from the Australian National University and is currently pursuing his PhD in Economics at the same institution. 

His doctoral research investigates the causal effects of improving inheritance rights for women, on their children's educational outcomes. Previously, Harshit worked as a researcher at the John Mitchell Economics of Poverty Lab, where he focused on examining the scalability of early childhood interventions.

Harshit is interested in conducting rigorous research on complex economic dynamics and their impact on public policy.

Tiya Banerjee

Pre-doctorate Economist

Tiya.banerjee@e61.in

Linkedin-in

Tiya Banerjee is a Pre-doctorate Economist at the e61 Institute. She recently graduated from the University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Economics and Advanced Studies, with First Class Honours in Economics. Her previous research concerns consumption effects of natural disasters.

Clyne_Josh_299-0160

Josh Clyne

Pre-doctorate Economist

josh.clyne@e61.in

Josh Clyne is a Pre-doctorate Economist at the e61 Institute. His research primarily explores the design of the tax and transfer system. Prior to joining e61, Josh completed a Masters in Economics from the University of Copenhagen and he completed his Bachelor Studies at the University of Melbourne.

e61_Institute-Aditya_Maitry-0940

Aditya Maitra

Pre-doctorate Economist

adit.maitra@e61.in

Linkedin-in

Adit is a Pre-Doctorate economist at the e61 Institute. His research focuses on topics related to competition in the Australian economy and consumer finance.

Adit graduated from the University of Melbourne with First Class Honours and the University Medal in Economics and a Mathematics Degree.

e61_Institute-Anil_Palan-0897

Anil Palan

Pre-doctorate Economist

Anil.Palan@e61.in

Linkedin-in

Anil Palan is a Pre-doctorate Economist at the e61 Institute, where he works primarily in the areas of education and social policy. He holds a Bachelor of Economics with First Class Honours from the University of Adelaide. 

Thomas_Hamish_207-0094

Hamish Thomas

Pre-doctorate Economist

hamish.thomas@e61.in

Hamish Thomas is a Pre-doctorate Economist at the e61 Institute, with a research interest in household finance and labour markets. Hamish holds a Bachelor of Economics from Macquarie University and First Class Honours from the University of New South Wales.

e61_Institute-Amy_Tramontozzi-8038

Amy Tramontozzi

Pre-doctorate Economist

amy.tramontozzi@e61.in

Amy Tramontozzi is a Pre-doctorate Economist at the e61 Institute, with research interests in housing policy and the economics of climate change. Amy completed a Master’s in Applied Data Science from the University of Chicago and a First Class Honours degree in Economics from the University of Edinburgh.