Michael O'Higgins (economist) facts for kids

Michael O'Higgins is an expert from Ireland who helps businesses and governments. He gives advice on how to make things work better and how to create good rules (policies). He has held many important jobs, often leading groups that look after big parts of public life.

Michael O'Higgins's Important Roles

Michael O'Higgins has spent many years helping different organizations. He often took on leadership roles, making sure things ran smoothly and fairly.

Helping with Pensions

From 2015 to 2021, Michael O'Higgins was the leader of the Local Pensions Partnership. A pension is money saved for people to use when they retire. This partnership helps manage those savings. He also advises other groups that invest money for people's futures. Before that, he was the chairman of The Pensions Regulator until 2013. This group makes sure that pension plans are run properly and safely.

Overseeing Public Services

Michael O'Higgins also helped important public services. From 2012 to 2015, he was the leader of the NHS Confederation. The NHS (National Health Service) is the main healthcare system in the United Kingdom. His role was to help guide this huge organization.

From 2006 to 2012, he was the chairman of the Audit Commission. This commission checked how well public money was being spent. It made sure that local councils and health services were using their funds wisely.

Advising on Money and Business

Michael O'Higgins also worked with the government's money department. From 2008 to 2014, he was a special advisor to HM Treasury. This is the part of the government that manages the country's money. He also helped check how the Treasury spent its funds.

He was also a director for Network Rail from 2012 to 2018. Network Rail looks after the railway tracks and stations in Great Britain. This role meant he helped guide how the railways were run.

Before these roles, he worked in big business consulting firms. He was a managing partner at PA Consulting, where he led teams helping governments and IT companies. He also worked at Price Waterhouse, another large consulting firm.

International and Academic Work

Michael O'Higgins has also worked internationally. He spent time at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in Paris. The OECD is a group of countries that work together to improve the world economy.

He has also taught at several well-known universities. These include the University of Bath, the London School of Economics, Harvard University in the USA, and the Australian National University. This shows his deep knowledge in economics and policy.