Australia's relatively slow economic growth compared to other parts of the globe is not concerning given the nation's stellar run of years without recession, according to the outgoing chairman of a fund manager.

Argo Investments chairman Ian Martin announced his resignation as head of the listed fund manager on Thursday after 12 years. He told Fairfax Media he felt optimistic about local economic conditions.

Against a backdrop of synchronised world growth it was important to remember Australia was unusual in that it had not experienced a recession since the early 1990s, he said.

"It is a really unique position of 27 years without a recession. That does make us very unique," he said.

"I think that always comes with positives and negatives. We shouldn't concentrate too much on the negatives. It is going OK. We are not going to shoot the lights out but we can't afford to.