Olivier Blanchard

Renowned behavioural economist Richard Thaler calls Olivier Blanchard “an economist’s economist”.

Olivier Blanchard, a senior fellow and former C. Fred Bergsten Senior Fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, is also the Robert M. Solow Professor of Economics emeritus at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Originally from France, Blanchard has dedicated most of his professional career to the United States. After earning his PhD in economics from MIT in 1977, he taught at Harvard University before returning to MIT in 1982 where he chaired the economics department from 1998 to 2003. In 2008, Blanchard served as the economic counsellor and director of the research department at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) until he joined the Peterson Institute in 2015.

During his tenure at the IMF, Blanchard played a crucial role in transforming the institution’s focus, steering it away from an exclusive emphasis on low inflation, fiscal austerity, and unregulated capital flows. His efforts revitalised Keynesian economics within the IMF and contributed to the stabilisation of the global economy during a critical period, thus averting another Great Depression.

One of the world’s most cited economists, Blanchcard has worked on a wide set of macroeconomic issues such as monetary and fiscal policy, speculative bubbles, labour market dynamics, economic transitions in former communist countries, and the Global Financial Crisis. As a prolific author, he has penned numerous influential books and articles, including two widely-used textbooks on macroeconomics.

Olivier Blanchard has held prestigious editorial roles, including editor of the Quarterly Journal of Economics and the NBER Macroeconomics Annual, and founding editor of the American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics. He is a fellow and former Council member of the Econometric Society, a past president of the American Economic Association, and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

What sets Olivier Blanchard apart from other economists is his unparalleled ability to demystify complex economic problems. He excels in theoretical research, empirical analysis, and practical policy-making, making him a unique and versatile economist. Whether discussing historical economic crises, current fiscal and monetary challenges, or future economic outlooks, Blanchard delivers content that is both intellectually stimulating and practically relevant.