All of us did not want to hear the news that eleven years after joining the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce as Chief Economist, Ian K Perkin, will step down at the end of this month. Ian, who joined the Chamber in August 1991, will be replaced by David O'Rear, formerly with the Economist Group.

In his eleven years of dedicated service to the Chamber, Ian has helped the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce set itself apart from other business associations in town as the only business chamber with an economist.

Ian Perkin's in-depth understanding of local and international issues gives credibility to the Chamber's statements about Hong Kong's economy. But what is most special about Ian is that he has been called the "common man's economist." Ian has the uncanny ability to explain the obfuscations of economics and technical forecasts in a way so that the average businessman and members of the Chamber can understand. This is why Ian's opinions are so useful to our members, especially SMEs who have no time to be reading charts and studying economics analysis. This is why his opinion is so valued by the media and why he is a frequent contributor to Hong Kong and international publications. He is also sought by many organisations to speak about the state of Hong Kong's economy.

The Chamber has been very lucky to have his service for over a decade. We are the only business association in town which has an economist, and this is what sets us apart from these other organisations. Now we can only wish him good luck and thank him as he goes on to other challenges back in his homeland of Australia.

Ian Perkin's replacement, David O'Rear, is an old Hong Kong hand, having worked here for almost 20 years, most of which time has been spent with the Economist Group. David will be responsible for economic research, as well as legal, taxation and other business issues regarding the Hong Kong SAR and major regional economies, including the Mainland.

He joined The Economist Group in 1984 (formerly Business International) and moved up through research to strategic consulting, having held his last position as Regional Economist from 1991-2001. Prior to joining the Chamber, David was a freelance economist and columnist.