Michael Stutchbury

Michael Stutchbury is an Executive Director of the Centre for Independent Studies.

Formerly the Editor-in-Chief of The Australian Financial Review, capping a distinguished career spanning more than 40 years at the helm of Australia’s leading national newspapers. As a senior editor and economic commentator, he has shaped national discourse on business, policy, and politics. From 2011 to 2024, he led the Financial Review through a major digital transformation, steering the masthead from a print-first tradition to a premium, digital-first platform with a growing subscription base.

Stutchbury’s journalism career began at the Financial Review in 1982, where he reported on industrial relations before progressing to key roles including Economics Editor and Washington correspondent. He also served as Editor and Economics Editor at The Australian, where he further cemented his influence as a trusted voice in economic and political journalism. An economics honours graduate from the University of Adelaide, he also brings policy insight from his early role as a research officer in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.