Professional Career
In 1996 Percy was awarded an Order of Australia for his contribution to public sector reform while he was Secretary (Head) of the NSW Treasury between 1985 and 1994. These included adopted modern accounting and budgetary processes, the corporatisation of state trading enterprises and the conceiving of IPART (the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal that got replicated by all states of Australia).
After leaving Treasury he was Finance Director of Boral Ltd, one of Australia’s largest building materials companies, from 1994 to 1996. His achievements in overhauling the group’s financial management got featured in CFO magazine.
He was Director of the Sydney Office of The Allen Consulting Group, now ACIL Allen Consulting (1997-98) and then headed his own advisory practice, Percy Allan & Associates Pty Ltd (1998-2021). In this capacity he helped national, state, and local governments in Australia, China, India, Thailand, Mongolia, Philippines, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, and the Pacific Islands to reform their financial management.
He has also conducted major official inquiries in Australia into local government, builders warranty insurance, the finances of the Northern Territory and NSW Boxing Day trading legislation. He has reviewed and advised over 30 local councils on their financial and infrastructure sustainability.
He co-founded Market Timing Pty Ltd, a share market risk management service, in March 2009 which was bought by a broking company, then Kohler & Co and later operated by the Switzer Group. Since the service closed in 2018, he has continued to write and distribute a weekly economic and market analysis on a gratis basis.
Education and Early Years
Percy was educated at Vaucluse Primary School, Cranbrook Secondary School, and the University of Sydney where he became President of its Students Representative Council (1969-70). He has both Bachelor and Master of Economics degrees.
In his early career he was a part-time university tutor (1969-70), an economist with the Bank of New South Wales in Sydney and London (1971-75), a senior officer of the Department of Labour & Industry, Papua New Guinea (1975-76) Assistant Chief Economist, NSW Treasury (1976-1980) and Senior Policy Adviser to the NSW Treasurer (1981-85).