Mark Zandi is chief economist of Moody’s Analytics, where he directs economic research. Moody’s Analytics, a subsidiary of Moody’s Corp., is a leading provider of economic research, data and analytical tools. Dr. Zandi cofounded Economy.com, which Moody’s purchased in 2005.

Dr. Zandi is on the board of directors of MGIC, the nation’s largest private mortgage insurance company, is the lead director of PolicyMap, a data visualization and analytics company used by policymakers and commercial businesses, and is a director of the Coleridge Initiative, a nonprofit that facilitates the exchange of data across governments. 

He is a trusted adviser to policymakers and an influential source of economic analysis for businesses, journalists and the public. Dr. Zandi frequently testifies before Congress and conducts regular briefings on the economy for corporate boards, trade associations and policymakers at all levels. 

Dr. Zandi is the author of Paying the Price: Ending the Great Recession and Beginning a New American Century, which assesses the monetary and fiscal policy response to the Great Recession. His other book, Financial Shock: A 360º Look at the Subprime Mortgage Implosion, and How to Avoid the Next Financial Crisis, is described by The New York Times as the “clearest guide” to the financial crisis. Dr. Zandi is host of the Inside Economics podcast. 

Dr. Zandi earned his BS from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and his PhD at the University of Pennsylvania.

Adam Kamins is a director at Moody’s Analytics. He manages the firm’s U.S. subnational forecasting process and covers a wide variety of topics related to regional economics while frequently writing and presenting about both the New York and broader Northeast economies. Adam is also responsible for state and metro area scenarios, analyzing and forecasting commercial real estate prices and activity, and quantifying the impact of external events such as natural disasters. Prior to joining Moody’s Analytics, Adam was a research manager at the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City, where he analyzed urban economies. He holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a bachelor's degree in quantitative economics from Tufts University.

Laura Ratz is an assistant director and economist at Moody’s Analytics. She covers California and other regional economies. She also works on the U.S. subnational forecasts and alternative scenarios. Laura has a master’s degree in economics from the University of Delaware and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Washington College.

Cristian deRitis is a senior director at Moody’s Analytics, where he conducts economic analysis and develops econometric models for a wide variety of clients. His regular analysis and commentary on consumer credit, policy and the broader economy appear on the firm’s Economy.com web site and in other publications. He is regularly quoted in publications such as the Wall Street Journal for his views on the economy and consumer credit markets. Currently he is spearheading efforts to develop alternative sources of data to measure economic activity more accurately than traditional sources of data. Before joining Moody’s Analytics, Cristian worked for Fannie Mae and taught at Johns Hopkins University. He received his PhD in economics from Johns Hopkins University and is named on two U.S. patents for credit modeling techniques.

Dante DeAntonio is a senior director at Moody’s Analytics. He manages and regularly contributes to Economic View. Dante specializes in U.S. macroeconomics, with a focus on the labor market and regional economics. Dante regularly presents to clients and conferences, and has been featured in a number of media outlets. Before joining Moody’s Analytics, he worked as an economist in the Current Employment Statistics program at the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Dante is also an adjunct professor in the Economics and Finance Department at West Chester University of Pennsylvania. Previously, he was an adjunct in the Economics Department at Lehigh University. He holds a master’s degree and PhD in economics from Lehigh University and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Pennsylvania State University.

Dr. Veeramani is a Financial Services executive with a demonstrated history of successfully leading high visibility initiatives at global and midsize financial institutions. He is currently Chief Economist with Wintrust Financial Corporation. He leads the bank’s Liquidity, Market & Interest Rate Risk Oversight, Economic Analysis & Forecasting, and Risk Strategy & Analytics functions.

Dr. Veeramani is a published author and frequent speaker on topics related to enterprise risk management, risk & financial analytics, creation of data-driven business intelligence, and economic trends.

Prior to joining Wintrust, he held various risk management roles of increasing responsibility at Morgan Stanley, Discover Financial Services and HSBC. He served on the Fintech Advisory Board of the Center for Financial Professionals for five years.

Dr. Veeramani earned his Ph.D. in Agri. Economics at the University of Kentucky. Additionally, he has completed the Advanced Risk Management Program from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Mr. Jones is the Senior Director of Global Real Estate Research and Strategy at Principal Real Estate, where he oversees U.S. and European regional outlooks and guides portfolio strategy. With nearly 20 years of commercial real estate research experience, he specializes in fundamental and capital market analysis. Mr. Jones is also the author of numerous thought leadership pieces on property sectors and broader economic and capital market trends impacting commercial real estate investment. Previously, he served as Senior Managing Economist at CBRE EA (Torto Wheaton Research) and held economist roles at the U.S. Census Bureau and Regional Financial Associates. He co-chairs the NCRIEF Research Committee and is a frequent presenter on economic growth and commercial real estate performance. Mr. Jones holds both a B.A. and an M.A. in economics from the University of Maine.

Cristian deRitis is a senior director at Moody’s Analytics, where he conducts economic analysis and develops econometric models for a wide variety of clients. His regular analysis and commentary on consumer credit, policy and the broader economy appear on the firm’s Economy.com web site and in other publications. He is regularly quoted in publications such as the Wall Street Journal for his views on the economy and consumer credit markets. Currently he is spearheading efforts to develop alternative sources of data to measure economic activity more accurately than traditional sources of data. Before joining Moody’s Analytics, Cristian worked for Fannie Mae and taught at Johns Hopkins University. He received his PhD in economics from Johns Hopkins University and is named on two U.S. patents for credit modeling techniques.

Steven G. Cochrane, PhD, is Chief APAC Economist with Moody’s. He leads the Asia economic analysis and forecasting activities of the Moody’s research team, as well as the continual expansion of the company’s international, national and subnational forecast models. In addition, Steve directs consulting projects for clients to help them understand the effect of regional economic developments on their business under baseline forecasts and alternative scenarios. Steve’s expertise lies in providing clear insights into an area’s or region’s strengths, weaknesses and comparative advantages, relative to macro or global economic trends. 

A highly-regarded speaker, Dr. Cochrane has provided economic insights at hundreds of engagements over the past 20 years and has been featured on CNBC, CNA, Bloomberg TV, Wall Street Radio, and the PBS News Hour. Through his research and presentations, Steve dissects how various components of the macro and regional economies shape patterns of growth. His extensive expertise on U.S. and global economic issues makes also him a popular speaker at client conferences and executive briefings.

Steve holds a PhD from the University of Pennsylvania and is a Penn Institute for Urban Research Scholar. He also holds a master's degree from the University of Colorado at Denver and a bachelor's degree from the University of California at Davis.

Eric Gaus is an assistant director and economist with Moody’s Analytics in West Chester, with responsibilities for development and improvement of country forecast and risk models. Eric is also responsible for the Netherlands’ economic forecast. Previously, he taught macroeconomics at Ursinus College and Haverford College. He has published several academic articles on macroeconomic expectations. Eric received his PhD in economics from the University of Oregon, and a BA and MA from Boston University.

Brendan LaCerda is a director and senior economist with Moody’s. Brendan serves as the lead analyst for the Canadian economic forecast. His primary responsibilities also include the development and improvement of country forecast models. His research is primarily focused on international macroeconomics, healthcare and fiscal policy. Before joining Moody’s Analytics, Brendan worked as a senior economist with IHS Global Insight’s U.S. Macroeconomic Service. Brendan received his PhD in economics from the University of Virginia. He pursued his undergraduate education at the London School of Economics and the University of Notre Dame, where he graduated with a BA in economics and mathematics.

Justin Begley is a U.S.-based economist at Moody’s Analytics. He covers the economies of Minnesota, Alabama, Wyoming, and several U.S. metro areas. His research focuses on U.S. fiscal policy, geopolitical risk, and the U.S. labor market. He also works on developing models to forecast high-frequency data of the U.S. economy and is a regular contributor to Economic View. Prior to joining Moody’s Analytics, Justin held fellowships at Florida State University and in political economy at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. Justin holds a master’s of science in economics from Florida State University and a bachelor’s degree in finance and economics from Canisius College.

Mark Zandi is chief economist of Moody’s Analytics, where he directs economic research. Moody’s Analytics, a subsidiary of Moody’s Corp., is a leading provider of economic research, data and analytical tools. Dr. Zandi cofounded Economy.com, which Moody’s purchased in 2005.

Dr. Zandi is on the board of directors of MGIC, the nation’s largest private mortgage insurance company, is the lead director of PolicyMap, a data visualization and analytics company used by policymakers and commercial businesses, and is a director of the Coleridge Initiative, a nonprofit that facilitates the exchange of data across governments. 

He is a trusted adviser to policymakers and an influential source of economic analysis for businesses, journalists and the public. Dr. Zandi frequently testifies before Congress and conducts regular briefings on the economy for corporate boards, trade associations and policymakers at all levels. 

Dr. Zandi is the author of Paying the Price: Ending the Great Recession and Beginning a New American Century, which assesses the monetary and fiscal policy response to the Great Recession. His other book, Financial Shock: A 360º Look at the Subprime Mortgage Implosion, and How to Avoid the Next Financial Crisis, is described by The New York Times as the “clearest guide” to the financial crisis. Dr. Zandi is host of the Inside Economics podcast. 

Dr. Zandi earned his BS from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and his PhD at the University of Pennsylvania.

Diane Swonk began her career with money-center bank First Chicago. She climbed from entry-level to

Director of Research and Chief Economist at Bank One, the merged bank. She spent more than a

decade as Senior Managing Director and Chief Economist at the financial services firm, Mesirow

Financial. Before joining KPMG, Diane had her own economics consulting firm and worked at Grant

Thornton. Diane now heads up the growing economics team at KPMG to serve partners and clients, and

to engage with the media to help showcase the firm’s achievements.

She has served as an advisor to the National Economic Council (NEC) on a nonpartisan basis. She

regularly briefs the regional Federal Reserve banks and the Board of Governors in Washington, DC. She

has provided Congressional testimony on income inequality and how to preserve and bolster the quality

of government economic statistics. She is on the Advisory Board for the Bureau of Economic Analysis, of

the Census Department.

She was honored by her peers as Fellow of the National Association for Business Economics (NABE)

for outstanding contributions to the field. She serves on the NABE statistics committee to advocate for

better information on the economy. Diane serves on the board of the Posse Foundation in Chicago, an

organization dedicated to increasing access to higher education. She is active in supporting scholarships

and programs to diversify the ranks of economists with more women and underrepresented minorities

with her alumni groups and work on the NABE Foundation. She is a member of many business groups,

including the Economic Advisory Board of the US Chamber of Commerce, the Council on Foreign

Relations, The Economic Club of Chicago and the Chicago Network, the oldest networking group for

women executives in the country.

Mark Zandi is chief economist of Moody’s Analytics, where he directs economic research. Moody’s Analytics, a subsidiary of Moody’s Corp., is a leading provider of economic research, data and analytical tools. Dr. Zandi cofounded Economy.com, which Moody’s purchased in 2005.

Dr. Zandi is on the board of directors of MGIC, the nation’s largest private mortgage insurance company, is the lead director of PolicyMap, a data visualization and analytics company used by policymakers and commercial businesses, and is a director of the Coleridge Initiative, a nonprofit that facilitates the exchange of data across governments. 

He is a trusted adviser to policymakers and an influential source of economic analysis for businesses, journalists and the public. Dr. Zandi frequently testifies before Congress and conducts regular briefings on the economy for corporate boards, trade associations and policymakers at all levels. 

Dr. Zandi is the author of Paying the Price: Ending the Great Recession and Beginning a New American Century, which assesses the monetary and fiscal policy response to the Great Recession. His other book, Financial Shock: A 360º Look at the Subprime Mortgage Implosion, and How to Avoid the Next Financial Crisis, is described by The New York Times as the “clearest guide” to the financial crisis. Dr. Zandi is host of the Inside Economics podcast. 

Dr. Zandi earned his BS from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and his PhD at the University of Pennsylvania.

Cristian deRitis is a senior director at Moody’s Analytics, where he conducts economic analysis and develops econometric models for a wide variety of clients. His regular analysis and commentary on consumer credit, policy and the broader economy appear on the firm’s Economy.com web site and in other publications. He is regularly quoted in publications such as the Wall Street Journal for his views on the economy and consumer credit markets. Currently he is spearheading efforts to develop alternative sources of data to measure economic activity more accurately than traditional sources of data. Before joining Moody’s Analytics, Cristian worked for Fannie Mae and taught at Johns Hopkins University. He received his PhD in economics from Johns Hopkins University and is named on two U.S. patents for credit modeling techniques.

Brendan LaCerda is a director and senior economist with Moody’s. Brendan serves as the lead analyst for the Canadian economic forecast. His primary responsibilities also include the development and improvement of country forecast models. His research is primarily focused on international macroeconomics, healthcare and fiscal policy. Before joining Moody’s Analytics, Brendan worked as a senior economist with IHS Global Insight’s U.S. Macroeconomic Service. Brendan received his PhD in economics from the University of Virginia. He pursued his undergraduate education at the London School of Economics and the University of Notre Dame, where he graduated with a BA in economics and mathematics.

Steven G. Cochrane, PhD, is Chief APAC Economist with Moody’s. He leads the Asia economic analysis and forecasting activities of the Moody’s research team, as well as the continual expansion of the company’s international, national and subnational forecast models. In addition, Steve directs consulting projects for clients to help them understand the effect of regional economic developments on their business under baseline forecasts and alternative scenarios. Steve’s expertise lies in providing clear insights into an area’s or region’s strengths, weaknesses and comparative advantages, relative to macro or global economic trends. 

A highly-regarded speaker, Dr. Cochrane has provided economic insights at hundreds of engagements over the past 20 years and has been featured on CNBC, CNA, Bloomberg TV, Wall Street Radio, and the PBS News Hour. Through his research and presentations, Steve dissects how various components of the macro and regional economies shape patterns of growth. His extensive expertise on U.S. and global economic issues makes also him a popular speaker at client conferences and executive briefings.

Steve holds a PhD from the University of Pennsylvania and is a Penn Institute for Urban Research Scholar. He also holds a master's degree from the University of Colorado at Denver and a bachelor's degree from the University of California at Davis.

Dante DeAntonio is a senior director at Moody’s Analytics. He manages and regularly contributes to Economic View. Dante specializes in U.S. macroeconomics, with a focus on the labor market and regional economics. Dante regularly presents to clients and conferences, and has been featured in a number of media outlets. Before joining Moody’s Analytics, he worked as an economist in the Current Employment Statistics program at the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Dante is also an adjunct professor in the Economics and Finance Department at West Chester University of Pennsylvania. Previously, he was an adjunct in the Economics Department at Lehigh University. He holds a master’s degree and PhD in economics from Lehigh University and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Pennsylvania State University.

Adam Kamins is a director at Moody’s Analytics. He manages the firm’s U.S. subnational forecasting process and covers a wide variety of topics related to regional economics while frequently writing and presenting about both the New York and broader Northeast economies. Adam is also responsible for state and metro area scenarios, analyzing and forecasting commercial real estate prices and activity, and quantifying the impact of external events such as natural disasters. Prior to joining Moody’s Analytics, Adam was a research manager at the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City, where he analyzed urban economies. He holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a bachelor's degree in quantitative economics from Tufts University.

Eric Gaus is an assistant director and economist with Moody’s Analytics in West Chester, with responsibilities for development and improvement of country forecast and risk models. Eric is also responsible for the Netherlands’ economic forecast. Previously, he taught macroeconomics at Ursinus College and Haverford College. He has published several academic articles on macroeconomic expectations. Eric received his PhD in economics from the University of Oregon, and a BA and MA from Boston University.

Justin Begley is a U.S.-based economist at Moody’s Analytics. He covers the economies of Minnesota, Alabama, Wyoming, and several U.S. metro areas. His research focuses on U.S. fiscal policy, geopolitical risk, and the U.S. labor market. He also works on developing models to forecast high-frequency data of the U.S. economy and is a regular contributor to Economic View. Prior to joining Moody’s Analytics, Justin held fellowships at Florida State University and in political economy at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. Justin holds a master’s of science in economics from Florida State University and a bachelor’s degree in finance and economics from Canisius College.

Laura Ratz is an assistant director and economist at Moody’s Analytics. She covers California and other regional economies. She also works on the U.S. subnational forecasts and alternative scenarios. Laura has a master’s degree in economics from the University of Delaware and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Washington College.

Diane Swonk began her career with money-center bank First Chicago. She climbed from entry-level to

Director of Research and Chief Economist at Bank One, the merged bank. She spent more than a

decade as Senior Managing Director and Chief Economist at the financial services firm, Mesirow

Financial. Before joining KPMG, Diane had her own economics consulting firm and worked at Grant

Thornton. Diane now heads up the growing economics team at KPMG to serve partners and clients, and

to engage with the media to help showcase the firm’s achievements.

She has served as an advisor to the National Economic Council (NEC) on a nonpartisan basis. She

regularly briefs the regional Federal Reserve banks and the Board of Governors in Washington, DC. She

has provided Congressional testimony on income inequality and how to preserve and bolster the quality

of government economic statistics. She is on the Advisory Board for the Bureau of Economic Analysis, of

the Census Department.

She was honored by her peers as Fellow of the National Association for Business Economics (NABE)

for outstanding contributions to the field. She serves on the NABE statistics committee to advocate for

better information on the economy. Diane serves on the board of the Posse Foundation in Chicago, an

organization dedicated to increasing access to higher education. She is active in supporting scholarships

and programs to diversify the ranks of economists with more women and underrepresented minorities

with her alumni groups and work on the NABE Foundation. She is a member of many business groups,

including the Economic Advisory Board of the US Chamber of Commerce, the Council on Foreign

Relations, The Economic Club of Chicago and the Chicago Network, the oldest networking group for

women executives in the country.

Dr. Veeramani is a Financial Services executive with a demonstrated history of successfully leading high visibility initiatives at global and midsize financial institutions. He is currently Chief Economist with Wintrust Financial Corporation. He leads the bank’s Liquidity, Market & Interest Rate Risk Oversight, Economic Analysis & Forecasting, and Risk Strategy & Analytics functions.

Dr. Veeramani is a published author and frequent speaker on topics related to enterprise risk management, risk & financial analytics, creation of data-driven business intelligence, and economic trends.

Prior to joining Wintrust, he held various risk management roles of increasing responsibility at Morgan Stanley, Discover Financial Services and HSBC. He served on the Fintech Advisory Board of the Center for Financial Professionals for five years.

Dr. Veeramani earned his Ph.D. in Agri. Economics at the University of Kentucky. Additionally, he has completed the Advanced Risk Management Program from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Mr. Jones is the Senior Director of Global Real Estate Research and Strategy at Principal Real Estate, where he oversees U.S. and European regional outlooks and guides portfolio strategy. With nearly 20 years of commercial real estate research experience, he specializes in fundamental and capital market analysis. Mr. Jones is also the author of numerous thought leadership pieces on property sectors and broader economic and capital market trends impacting commercial real estate investment. Previously, he served as Senior Managing Economist at CBRE EA (Torto Wheaton Research) and held economist roles at the U.S. Census Bureau and Regional Financial Associates. He co-chairs the NCRIEF Research Committee and is a frequent presenter on economic growth and commercial real estate performance. Mr. Jones holds both a B.A. and an M.A. in economics from the University of Maine.