Raghuram Rajan

Dr. Raghuram Rajan is a world-renowned economist and award-winning expert in the finance of economic growth. He was Economic Counselor and Director of Research (chief economist) at the International Monetary Fund from 2003 to December 2006, the youngest person ever to hold the position.

As a researcher for political economic policy and the role of institutions in fostering economic development, he was one of the first people to see our financial crisis coming, and as chief economist of the IMF, he warned in 2005 that disaster loomed and pushed the IMF's research department to focus on financial-sector issues.

Dr. Rajan is the author to many books, including "The Third Pillar: How Markets and the State Leave the Community Behind", "Fault Lines: How Hidden Fractures Still Threaten the World Economy" (2010), and co-author of "Saving Capitalism from the Capitalists: Unleashing the Power of Financial Markets to Create Wealth and Spread Opportunity", a fresh approach to understanding the wealth-generating capabilities of free markets.

He has held a number of visiting professorships and is an advisor to the Prime Minister of India. He was previously a consultant to the Indian Finance Ministry, the World Bank, the US Federal Reserve Board, the Swedish Parliamentary Commission, and various financial institutions.

He was awarded the inaugural Fischer Black Prize by the American Finance Association for contributions to finance by an economist under 40, and is perhaps the most prominent economist of Indian origin of his generation. Dr. Rajan was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences in 2009.