Benje Patterson is an economist, strategist and storyteller. He is passionate about New Zealand’s regions.

Benje has an extensive track record of mentoring others to understand and make use of economic data. Many economists use unnecessary jargon when they talk about the economy, but Benje likes to put things in plain English.

Unlike most economists, who love to grandstand when talking about the regions, Benje isn’t based in the big smoke. His approach to economics is to get out and talk. Regions are best understood at the coal face rather than from the corporate box.

Benje currently resides in the beautiful Southern Lakes. He originally hails from Invercargill and still proudly rolls his r’s with vigour.

Benje’s undergraduate education in Economics and Finance was completed at Otago University. He also has a Master’s degree in Economics and Politics from the University of Freiburg in Germany. Before becoming an independent economist, he headed up the regional arm of one of New Zealand’s most respected consultancies, Infometrics.