Professor Kevin O'Brien

Professor O'Brien retired as the Pro Vice Chancellor, Division of Business and Enterprise and a member of the Senior Management Group in 2004. His management portfolio included Enterprise Development and the Schools of Accounting, Information Systems, International Business, International Graduate School of Management, Law & Legal Practice, Management and Marketing. He was also responsible for the City West Campus.

Professor O'Brien studied economics at the University of Adelaide and Stirling University, Scotland. He first worked for the Reserve Bank of Australia, including a period in the Research Department in Sydney. He then joined the South Australian Institute of Technology as a Lecturer in Economics, before becoming the Head of School, School of Accountancy. Following the establishment of the University of South Australia, Kevin became the first Dean of the Faculty of Business and Management in 1992. He acted as Vice Chancellor on a number of occasions.

He represented the University in Australia and overseas. He was particularly active in developing links for the University in South East Asia and presenting seminars in many countries including Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore.

• Financial system operation and regulation
• Health economics

Fellow, Australian Society of Certified Practising Accountants.

Member, Economics Society of Australia & New Zealand.

Member, Australian Health Economists Group.

Bachelor of Economics (Hons), University of Adelaide, 1969.

Master of Science (Econ), University of Stirling, Scotland, 1977.

• Financial system operation and regulation
• Health economics

KP O'Brien, "Building Societies, Credit Unions and Friendly Societies", in MK Lewis & RH Wallace (eds), The Australian Financial System: Evolution, Policy and Practice, Addison Wesley Longman, 1997.

KP O'Brien and R Donato, Nosocomial Rota Virus Infection: The Economics of Prevention, Australian Health Review, Vol 16, No 3, 1993.

KP O'Brien, "Thrift Institutions", in MK Lewis & RH Wallace (eds), Australia's Financial System, Longman Cheshire, 1993.

R Harris, KP O'Brien, et al, "A Randomised Study of Outcomes in a Defined Group of Acutely Ill Elderly Patients Managed in a Geriatric Assessment Unit or a General Medical Unit", Australia & NZ Journal of Medicine, 1991.

KP O'Brien, et al, A MacMillan, Macroeconomics: The Australian Context, Prentice-Hall, 1987 (reprinted 1988).

KP O'Brien, The Australian Business Framework, CCH, 1986.

"Economic Aspects of Health Care", in In-Forum, Vol 3, No 1, Royal Adelaide Hospital, 1984.

KP O'Brien and C Catt, "Economics - Luxury or Necessity?" Accounting Forum, March 1979.

KP O'Brien, "Health Expenditure in Australia" and "Health Expenditure in New Zealand", Book Reviews in Community Health Studies, Vol 3, No 3, 1979.

Optimal Capital Intensity of Sheltered Employment, Unpublished MSc thesis, with research requested and supported by Remploy Ltd, 1979.

RESEARCH AND CONSULTING ACTIVITIES

1997 Australian Central Credit Union Limited.

1993 Credit Union Services Corporation (Australia) Limited/SA Centre for Economic Studies.

1990-1992 Economic evaluation of limiting rotavirus cross infection in hospitals.

1984-1990 Geriatric Assessment Research Project: Commonwealth funded analysis of the effectiveness of the GAU at Flinders Medical Centre.

1989 Professional Development Program, SA Health Commission. Hospitals Associations of Australia Conference, 1989 - Expert Commentator.

1986 South Australian Association of Permanent Building Societies.

I am able to provide media comment in the following areas of expertise:

Discipline: Economics

• Health Economics
• Financial Markets