OWS2.0 Preview: Big Economic Questions Answered by Summit Keynoter
Former Economist Speaks on Politics, Monetary Policy and Millennials
Is the U.S. headed for a recession? That’s the biggest question on everyone’s minds today. And IAOP is bringing a former CNBC Chief Economist to the main stage at OWS2.0 to answer it. Dr. Marci Rossell, who also co-hosted Squawk Box, will present the opening keynote on Feb. 17 at the Renaissance Orlando.
Despite concerns people have about Brexit, the trade war with China and tariffs, increasing interest rates and monetary policies, Rossell says the answer remains: “Absolutely not.”
“Economic expansions can go on for a very long time. Something has to happen to cause a recession. None of the factors causing concern are strong enough to take an economy that is growing almost 3 percent to take it off track and get it below zero. It takes something like a big failure to cause a recession – like a 20 percent of 30 percent decline in stock prices.”
With all the turbulence around us, what should companies do to stay grounded?
“This is the new world we’re in where politics is the new disrupter in the developed world,” Rossell says. “Companies have to take steps to protect themselves from political instability and political shifting. They have to be more aware of the political environment than they used to be. We need to be more on top of things and may need to switch gears and make decisions faster.”
Beyond politics, monetary policy is more of a prevalent force that businesses and individuals need to stay aware of.
“We need to understand the dry dull forces that move the economy behind the scenes, and how they can work with or be at odds with politics,” she says. “Monetary policy in some ways is acting in odds with the tariff.”
Rossell also will share with OWS2.0 attendees a demographic that can’t be overlooked: the emergence of the millennials as an economic force.
“For most of us, the Baby Boomers have been the main drivers of economics, politics and social movements,” she says. “It’s the millennials now. Millennials, as consumers, are demanding social responsibility from business. They think about the world fundamentally differently and they demand something different from the companies they do business with. It’s not a force that’s going away anytime soon.”
Rossell was a Chief Economist for CNBC in the months immediately following September 11th. Before her career in broadcast journalism, she served as Corporate Economist and Investment Spokesperson for OppenheimerFunds, one of the nation’s largest mutual fund companies. She also was an expert witness for Deloitte and Touche in court cases involving economic issues. Rossell began her career as an economist with the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas and holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Southern Methodist University, where she was named one of the Young Alumni of the Year in 2002.
Rossell speaks on the nexus of economics, politics, culture, and the media and is known to electrify audiences with her animated style. Get ready to be enlightened by her creative, thought-provoking commentary!
