Inspired early by an amazing teacher, Belinda Allen understands the real importance of making economics relatable.
25 September 2025
After nearly two decades decoding the Australian economy, Belinda Allen has stepped into her new role as Head of Australian Economics at CommBank.
Belinda brings not only deep expertise but a genuine passion for helping Australians understand the forces shaping their economic and financial future.
We caught up with her to talk about what drives her, what’s ahead for the economy, and how she balances it all with family life.
“I fell in love with economics at high school,” Belinda says. “I had an amazing Year 11 and 12 economics teacher. Shout out to Mr Rooney- he inspired me to want to understand the economy more deeply at university.”
That early spark turned into a lifelong passion. “I found economics to be an amazing way to think about solving problems in the world and improving our standard of living. It really does impact all of us from large Australian companies to small businesses and households.”
Belinda’s career spans nearly 20 years as a financial markets economist. “I’ve worked through the global financial crisis, Covid, Trump-era trade and tariffs, you name it,” she says.
“What I’ve loved most is helping businesses and households understand how these big events affect their everyday lives.” Belinda started her career with CommBank, a place she describes as “an amazing environment to grow and learn.”
“I feel incredibly privileged to be Head of Australian Economics,” Belinda says. “I’m looking forward to developing our team’s insights to help people understand what’s happening in the economy.”
She’s especially keen to tackle challenges like housing affordability, the energy transition, and productivity. “We also have amazing data assets at CBA. It gives us a unique lens on how the economy is performing.”
Outside of work Belinda’s world is just as dynamic. With her husband, she is a mum to two daughters, aged nine and twelve “who both play a lot of sport,” she says.
“You’ll usually find me on the sidelines of a netball or soccer match. I coach my daughter’s netball team and still play myself. It’s a busy life, but I love it.”
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