Bill Evans, the long-serving former Westpac chief economist, has died, Westpac has confirmed.
Evans died on July 28, 2026, on his 76th birthday.
In a statement, his family said: “He will be remembered as a force – a kind and thoughtful man who was at the centre of every conversation and lit up every room.”
Westpac CEO Anthony Miller, who worked alongside Evans, described him as a “once-in-a-generation talent” and one of Australia’s most respected and influential economists.
Westpac said in a press release that Evans helped Australians make sense of a changing world for more than three decades.
“As Westpac’s former chief economist, he guided customers, businesses, policymakers and colleagues through recessions, booms, market shocks and global crises.”
“Evans joined Westpac as chief economist in 1991. At the time, the country was navigating a fraught economic environment, in the thick of what later became known as “the recession we had to have”.
“Undeterred, he embraced the challenge, drawing on experience gained at the Reserve Bank of Australia and in financial markets. What followed was an extraordinary career spanning more than 30 years at Westpac.
“Over that time, Evans earned a reputation as one of Australia’s most respected economists and market commentators. His views on interest rates, economic policy and financial markets were closely watched across the country.
“A trusted interpreter of uncertainty, his forecasts earned a near-mythical status in financial markets. Time and again, he was prepared to back his analysis when others disagreed.
“Yet Evans’ influence extended well beyond markets. Through decades of economic upheaval, he helped governments, journalists and households understand not only what was happening, but what it meant for their businesses, finances and futures.
“His reputation rested on an uncanny ability to see risks and turning points before they entered the mainstream conversation.
“From warning of vulnerabilities during the Asian Financial Crisis in 1997 and excesses in the US housing market before the GFC, perhaps Evans’ most famous call was in 2011, when he was the first economist to accurately predict an RBA easing cycle.”
