Our researchers

Philip is a research and strategy leader with twenty years’ experience in economic and social research in university, independent and public sectors. He has demonstrated his ability to develop and improve research and evaluation capability and systems. He is an enthusiastic people leader, providing clarity of vision and purpose for his team, and developing direct reports and peers. He leads the Economics & Research team at the Commission.  

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Richard is an empirical microeconomist specialising in business and labour economics, with a particular interest in understanding New Zealand workers, firms and jobs. He joined the Economics & Research team in 2022, after a decade as a self-employed independent researcher working for various public sector agencies. Richard has held senior research positions at Motu Research, the Reserve Bank of New Zealand, and the Ministry of Economic Development. He was instrumental in the development of the Business Operations Survey, the Longitudinal Business Database (LBD), and the labour and productivity datasets in the Integrated Data Infrastructure and has co-authored over fifty papers using these data. Richard has a PhD in Applied Mathematics (Magnetohydrodynamics) from the University of Waikato, modelling solar flare behaviour.    

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Amelia is working on her PhD in Economics at the University of Otago, which included analysis on the impact of graduating during a recession. Her research interests include public policy, labour and gender economics and finance.

Previously a Senior Fellow at Motu, Lynn Riggs joined the Commission in September 2022. After reading her PhD from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Lynn worked for the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (the regulator of swaps and futures markets), the US Bureau of the Census and the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. She also taught health economics, microeconomics as an adjunct professor at De Paul University in Chicago. Lynn’s research interests are in labour, health, education and financial economics.

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Lynda’s primary research interest is on the microeconomic analysis of firm performance and behaviour. Her past research has covered areas including trans-Tasman migration, the dynamics of exporting and firm performance, and the impacts of foreign direct investment. Her current interest is in using Stats NZ’s Integrated Data Infrastructure to examine the links between firm and employee characteristics, firm performance, and employee outcomes. Lynda completed her PhD at the University of Waikato in 2011. Prior to joining the Commission, Lynda has worked for the Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment, the OECD, the Treasury, and the Reserve Bank of New Zealand.

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Quy Ta’s research focusses on the economics of natural disasters and wellbeing, at both macro- and microeconomic levels. Prior to joining the Commission, Quy has worked for the Central Bank of Vietnam and completed his PhD at Victoria University of Wellington. His current interest is in using Stats NZ’s Integrated Data Infrastructure to understand economic mobility, disadvantage and persistent disadvantage in New Zealand; and the firm performance following exogenous shocks.

You can read more about Quy's work here: RePec