Event Date: September 8, 2025, 11:30am – 1:30pm
Event Location: International Ballroom, JW Marriott

As one of the most-respected economists in the world and among the most frequently quoted in the financial press, Diane Swonk is called upon by policy makers and business leaders around the world.

Currently the chief economist for global auditing firm KPMG, Swonk has more than 30 years of experience in financial services and sits on advisory committees to the Federal Reserve Board and its regional banks. She is currently on the U.S. Chamber of Commerce economic advisory board. Having advised the Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) for the White House under three presidents, she served the maximum two terms on the Congressional Budget Office (CBO)’s panel of economic advisers. She joined the audit and consulting firm Grant Thornton in 2018, where she served as the firm’s chief economist until 2022. She had joined Mesirow Financial after 19 years with Bank One Corporation and its predecessors, working as director of economics/chief economist and senior vice president. She started her career with the legacy First Chicago Corporation in 1985 and quickly moved up the ranks, proving herself as a regional economist with her forecast for a renaissance in the Industrial Midwest just one year later.

The Passionate Economist. She is one of the most sought-after and frequently quoted economists in the financial press. She was named one of the 100 most influential economists in the world for her analysis of the pandemic and its impact on the economy. Chicago magazine once said, “Her name seems the very heartbeat of the business pages.” Listed as one of the “Top Forecasters in the Country” by The Wall Street Journal and rated as one of the most accurate economic forecasters by MSNBC, she has a nearly encyclopedic knowledge of all things economic. Exclusively represented by Leading Authorities speakers bureau, she offers audiences a deep, nonpolitical dive into global and domestic economic issues, including where the economy is headed, trade issues, regulation, and the effects of government policy on the markets. She has published a book, The Passionate Economist: Finding the Power and Humanity Behind the Numbers.