Treasury Secretary Jacob J. Lew on the US-China economic relationship

Speaker Biographies

Arthur C. Brooks is the president of AEI and the Beth and Ravenel Curry Scholar in Free Enterprise. Until January 1, 2009, he was the Louis A. Bantle Professor of Business and Government Policy at Syracuse University. He is the author of 11 books and many articles on topics ranging from the economics of the arts to applied mathematics. His books include “The Conservative Heart: How to Build a Fairer, Happier, and More Prosperous America” (Broadside Books, 2015), “The Road to Freedom: How to Win the Fight for Free Enterprise” (Basic Books, 2012), “Social Entrepreneurship” (Prentice Hall, 2008), and “Who Really Cares” (Basic Books, 2006). Before pursuing his work in public policy, Dr. Brooks spent 12 years as a professional French hornist with the City Orchestra of Barcelona and other ensembles.

Greg Ip is chief economics commentator for The Wall Street Journal. He writes about US and global economic developments and policy in his weekly Capital Account column and on Real Time Economics, The Wall Street Journal’s economics blog. From 2008 to January 2015, he was US economics editor for The Economist. From 1996 to 2008, he was a reporter for The Wall Street Journal in New York and Washington, DC. He comments regularly on television and radio, including CNBC, National Public Radio, and “PBS NewsHour.” Mr. Ip has won or shared in several prizes for journalism. He was on a team that was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for coverage of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. His work has been recognized by the World Leadership Forum, the Scripps Howard Foundation, and the National Press Club. He is the author of “Foolproof: Why Safety Can Be Dangerous and How Danger Makes Us Safe” (Little, Brown, 2015) and “The Little Book of Economics: How the Economy Works in the Real World” (Wiley, 2010). Mr. Ip received a bachelor’s degree in economics and journalism from Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario.

Jacob J. Lew was confirmed as the 76th secretary of the treasury after serving as the White House chief of staff for the Obama administration. Before that role, he was the director of the Office of Management and Budget, a position he also held in President Clinton’s cabinet from 1998 to 2001. Secretary Lew began his career in Washington in 1973 as a legislative aide. From 1979 to 1987, he was the assistant director and then executive director of the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee, serving as an adviser to House Speaker Thomas P. O’Neill Jr. From 2001 to 2006, he was executive vice president and chief operating officer of New York University. He went on to serve as managing director and chief operating officer for two different Citigroup business units until 2008. Secretary Lew is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the National Academy of Social Insurance.