Business Sydney & CBD Sydney Chamber of Commerce
COCKTAIL RECEPTION | with Chris LAMONT
NSW Small Business Commissioner
Tuesday, 12 September 2023
5:30 PM to 7:30 PM
Where
Sydney
Registration
Business Sydney members & invited guests
The NSW Small Business Commission is dedicated to supporting small businesses by helping to improve the economic and regulatory environment in which they operate.
NSW Small Business Commissioner, Chris Lamont, addressed guests on the current challenges for SME’s, key areas of advocacy the Commission is pursuing, and why it’s worth getting involved in Small Business Month in October.
Also addressing guests was Dr Sherman Chan, Chief Economist, Business NSW who provided her analysis on the current conditions for business following her recent Business Conditions Survey report.
Dr Chan then conducted a Q&A with Commissioner Lamont, Louisa Sijabat, Managing Principal, Merchants Advisory and Tulsi van de Graaff, Partner, Brave People Solutions.
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Special Guests:
CHRIS LAMONT
NSW Small Business Commissioner
Chris Lamont has been appointed the new NSW Small Business Commissioner and will start in the role on June 15.
Chris has more than two decades experience in policy development and advocacy, senior government positions, not-for-profit and industry associations, business and the delivery of major government reforms and programs.
Most recently he has been the General Manager for Capital Projects and Infrastructure with the City of Melbourne where he oversaw the delivery of the capital works program.
As the NSW Small Business Commissioner, Chris will advocate for small businesses across the State and help resolve issues impacting on them. A key part of his role in the months ahead will be leading the NSW Small Business Commission as it helps small businesses overcome the many challenges they face in this period of COVID-19.
Chris Lamont takes over as the NSW Small Business Commissioner from Robyn Hobbs, who stepped down from the position at the end of 2019. From her appointment in 2014, Robyn was a passionate advocate for small business. Her leadership in providing advocacy, dispute resolution and business support services across NSW, helped cement the state as the best place in Australia to start and grow a business.
DR SHERMAN CHAN
Chief Economist, Business NSW
Sherman joined Business NSW in March 2022. In her role as Chief Economist, she drives strategic policy research and builds the important evidence base for subsequent advocacy directions. She manages the quarterly Business Conditions Survey – the flagship research project that generates insights into business sentiment across key industries in NSW.
Sherman has been a Lecturer at UNSW since 2014. Proficient in both macroeconomics and microeconomics, she specialises in government policy evaluation, impact measurement and cost-benefit analysis.
Sherman has experience in government, banking and consulting.
Prior to joining Business NSW, she was a Senior Manager at MinterEllison’s consulting practice. This followed a six-year stint in NSW Government with agencies including NSW Treasury and the Audit Office of NSW where she led large-scale and complex program evaluations and performance audits.
Sherman’s journey as an economist also includes working at Moody’s Analytics and HSBC in Hong Kong during the Global Financial Crisis, covering economies and financial markets across the Asia-Pacific region.
Having commenced her career at the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority, Sherman has a strong research interest in bank lending. Her PhD thesis also examined the challenges faced by banks in meeting regulatory requirements and satisfying customer demand for credit.