Matthew Steiner
Economist, Competition Economics, Commerce Commission
Master of Business in Economics with Honours (First Class)
Bachelor of Business in Economics and Information Systems
He loves playing his part in making New Zealanders better off, says business alumnus Matthew Steiner who now works as an economist at the Commerce Commission.
“I’ve always wanted to ensure that the work I did in my career helps making New Zealanders better off, so getting to come to work and strive for that goal every day is an absolute privilege. I get to say that I’m a part of something that is really making a difference for New Zealanders. Another thing I really enjoy about my job is that the work is challenging and gives you constant opportunities to learn new things and grow.”
One of the achievements he is particularly proud of in his career so far was being part of the team that produced the recent market study on personal banking.
“Each market study has one or two economists assigned to support the core market studies team. I was one of these economists for this recent market study and led the profitability workstream of the study. This involved comparing the profitability of New Zealand’s banking sector to banking sectors in other countries and comparing the relative profitability of banks operating in New Zealand. This was my first time leading a workstream, which was an incredible opportunity to develop my skills as an economist, demonstrate my skills to my colleagues and senior staff, and be responsible for drafting the chapter and attachments on profitability in the final report.
“Working on a market study is an incredible opportunity. It’s one of the highest profile projects that the Commission does and gains significant attention from a range of stakeholders including politicians, the sector itself, the media and consumers. I’m extremely proud of how much I grew throughout the study. A huge part of that goes back to the incredible market studies team, managers and commissioners that I had around me. It’s a piece of work I’m incredibly proud of.”
Valuable opportunities
After developing an interest in economics in high school, Matthew says what he loved most about studying economics at AUT were the opportunities to experience life as an economist while he was still at university.
“Doing my master’s degree dissertation was my first taste of what it would be like working in the field of economics. I absolutely loved doing my own research and analysis and I learned so much from my three supervisors, Professor Matthew Ryan, Professor Gail Pacheco and Dr Alex Plum. What I learned during my dissertation, both in terms of the experience I gained and the things I learned from my academic supervisors, was probably the aspect of my university experience that best prepared me for working as an economist. It left me extremely excited to enter the workforce and do more of that type of work.
“Another highlight was the course Economic Policy Evaluation with Associate Professor Peer Skov. I’ve always been more data minded, and this courses enabled us to learn about a range of statistical techniques and how to apply them to assess real-world policies. I found that particularly interesting, and enjoyed the main assignment, where we designed an experiment to assess a recent public policy of our choice. Again, it felt like I was experiencing life as an economist, and I was hooked.”
Being encouraged to work as a teaching assistant during his postgraduate studies was another standout moment for him.
“I had never been a particularly confident public speaker, and the opportunity to lead tutorial classes enabled me to test myself and develop my confidence in that area. It was extremely rewarding to help students understand the content and succeed in the course, and it was a great opportunity to work as more of a colleague with the economics department and build those connections.”
Advice for other students
Matthew – who completed his Bachelor of Business in 2018, followed by his Master of Business in 2021, and is proud of being a member of the Beta Gamma Sigma honours society – has some great advice for other students.
“Don’t underestimate the value of building relationships with your lecturers. I didn’t do the best job of that until I was at the postgraduate level, which I think was to my detriment. In my experience, the staff were incredibly helpful and supportive within our studies or supporting us to find opportunities like internships and grad roles. For example, I’m incredibly grateful to my former lecturer Dr Lydia Pik Yi Cheung who offered me a teaching assistant role at AUT and helped me to prepare for the hiring process for my current role at the Commerce Commission.”
Stay curious, he adds.
“Working life is a constant learning process. Staying curious will ensure that you not only continue to learn and develop in your career, but it will also ensure that you maintain your passion for your field.”
