Michael Hall
Public Policy and Evaluation lead
Experience
Michael has 10 years working in economic consulting, government and education. He now works as an analyst for Ofgem, helping energy companies invest in the electrication of the UK’s energy network and help accelerate the transition to net zero.
He began his career working for Belmana, working on a range of econometric and qualitative evaluations for government programmes. Following this, he moved to the Environment Agency, Frazer-Nash Consultancy and Turner and Townsend.
Education
BSc Economics and Management, University of Bristol
MSc Economics, University of Bristol
Hobbies
Guitarist, travelling and attending comedy gigs
Edward Bond
Competition Economics lead
Experience
Edward has 8 years working in economic consulting, research, and impact consulting. He now works as a freelance economist, helping organisations to understand their data and use it to make meaningful decisions.
He began his career working for Compass Lexecon, working on a range of cases involving damages litigation and merger control. Following this, he moved to the Institute for Fiscal Studies where he worked on research projects relating to taxation and public finance in developing countries.
Education
BSc Economics, The London School of Economics and Political Science
MSc Economics, University College London
Hobbies
Passionate for Rock Climbing & Running
Nemr Kanafani
Macroeconomics and Scenario analysis lead
Experience
Nemr is an economist with over 20 years of experience in macroeconomic research, public sector reform, and the political economy of the Middle East and North Africa. He currently serves as an Economic Advisor to the Oman Economic Program with Tetra Tech, supporting macro-fiscal strategy, diversification policy, and economic development initiatives.
He has previously held senior roles at The Conference Board, the National Bank of Kuwait, and the Central Bank of Kuwait, focusing on macroeconomic analysis, energy markets, and structural reform. He also has experience advising on financial markets and investment strategy.
Education
BSc Economics, Truman State University
MSc Economics, University of Missouri-Columbia
Ramyank Chaganty
Founder and Director of Vichag Economics
Experience
Ramyank is the founder of Vichag Economics, based in Birmingham.
He has experience across economic research, forecasting, and applied analysis. He currently works as a Research Analyst in the AgriBusiness team at GlobalData, specialising in the economics of agricultural commodities.
He began his career at GlobalData as an Automotive Analyst, forecasting vehicle sales across more than 40 countries. He also has experience in consultancy, delivering applied economic analysis across a range of industries at the Centre for Economics and Business Research, and contributing to macroeconomic research and analysis at Capital Economics.
Education
BSc Economics, University of Warwick
MSc Economics, University College London
Hobbies
Outside of work, he frequently plays hockey, cricket and football. He is a passionate Manchester United supporter and enjoys listening to podcasts and watching films.
Meet the team
"At university, I experienced first-hand how difficult it was to secure internships and placements that would strengthen my CV and help me stand out in a highly competitive graduate job market.
After working through countless rejections, I began my career in economic research and gained experience across consultancies. Reflecting on both my time at university and in the workplace, I realised that many of the skills and methodologies used in the industry simply aren't taught at university.
Seeing these challenges, I founded Vichag Economics to help students gain real-world economics experience, strengthen their CVs and improve their career prospects."
- Ramyank Chaganty, Founder and Director of Vichag Economics