Mr Alan Hirsch

Mr Alan Hirsch was appointed to his current position in 2010. He holds a BA Economics degree from the University of Cape Town (UCT), a BA (Hons) in development studies from the University of the Witswatersrand, a Master’s degree in Economic History from UCT, and a MPhil History from Columbia in the United States. He has also worked as an Economics lecturer, an economic policy research director, as a senior official at the Department of Trade and Industry and at the Presidency as chief economist. He led the South African negotiations team for its World Bank loan in 1998, and led the negotiations with the European Union for a trade and development agreement in 1994.

He has represented the Presidency at the G20, and co-chairs the G20 Development Working Group. Mr Hirsch helped to establish the Graduate School of Development Policy and Practice at UCT and is a visiting professor at the Graduate School of Governance at Maastricht University. He is a board member of the Business Trust and until recently sat on the Denel Group board and chaired the board of Denel Aviation. He is a chairperson of the board of Trade and Industry Policy and Strategies and a country director with the International Growth Centre. He has published widely on trade and industrial policy issues including a book: Season of Hope – Economic Reform under Mandela and Mbeki.