Dr Ganesh Nana

An economist by trade, Ganesh has accumulated more than 40 years of experience and knowledge during a professional career that has ranged from academia, to consulting, to public service. He was Chief Economist at BERL from 2011, before leaving to serve as Chair of Productivity Commission Te Kōmihana Whai Hua o Aotearoa in 2021. Since the disestablishment of the Commission in 2024, Ganesh continues to monitor the economic situation publishing comment and articles on his Substack site.

Ganesh regularly volunteers for shifts at the City Mission's Whakamaru Social Supermarket and serves in voluntary positions on the Boards of Kaibosh Food Rescue, The New Zealand Drug Foundation Te Puna Whakaiti Pāmamae Kai Whakapiri, and Nuku Ora.

Ganesh is a first-generation New Zealander of Indian ethnicity, raised in Te Awa Kairangi ki Uta. Ganesh acknowledges Māori as Tangata Whenua of Aotearoa. Ganesh lives with his partner in Pōneke.