Noreena Hertz

Noreena Hertz

Producing spot-on economic predictions.

Professor of Finance, Globalization and Sustainability at Erasmus University and the University of Cambridge.

For more than two decades, Hertz’s economic predictions have not only been accurate and ahead of the curve, but crucial for the success of the world’s economy. Often called upon to consult for multi-national corporations and high profile CEO’s, Hertz has become one of the most influential economists on the international stage. From prime ministers to presidents, global superpowers to emerging markets, Hertz helps make sense of a complex world.

Currently the Professor of Finance, Globalization and Sustainability based at both Erasmus University and University of Cambridge, Hertz’s work offers a much needed blueprint for rethinking economics. Her unique, integrated approach weaves traditional economic analysis into foreign policy trends, psychology and sociology, all against a backdrop of a profound understanding of shifting geo-political tectonics.

Hertz’s career began in St. Petersburg where, after completing her MBA at Wharton, she helped establish the city’s stock exchange—and tutored Boris Yeltsin’s advisors in market economics. Hertz then became a consultant at the World Bank, advising the Russian government on economic reforms, specifically the shift from a communist model to a capitalist system.

After earning her Ph.D. at Cambridge, Hertz moved to the Middle East, where she headed a team of 40 researchers exploring roles the private sector might play in the peace process.

In her #1 best-selling book The Silent Takeover, Hertz predicted that unregulated markets and massive financial institutions would have serious global consequences, impacting the ordinary citizen. Following the financial meltdown and recession of 2008-09, many commentators have described Professor Hertz as a visionary.

Her 2005 best-seller, The Debt Threat: How debt is destroying the developing world…and threatening us all, exposed the dangers of irrational lending. It has been hailed as one of the most important texts exploring the impact of debt on society at large.

Hertz played a leading role in the development of (RED) - an innovative commercial model to raise money for aids victims in Africa that Starbucks and The Gap have most recently become part of. Bono, who co-founded project (RED), accredits Hertz’s writings as the inspiration for the (RED) project.

Hertz’s op-ed pieces have been published in The Washington Post, New Statesman, The Observer, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Financial Times, The Guardian, The Daily Beast and The Times of London. Besides a heavy broadcasting and writing schedule on both sides of the Atlantic, Hertz regularly takes part in debates and panels with leading politicians and public figures as diverse as Bill Clinton, Jeffrey Sachs, Larry Summers and William Cohen.

At the podium, Hertz demystifies data points and makes sense of an increasingly interconnected, complex world. Hertz shares her experiences of working with the world’s most influential decision makers, and just as she predicted the economic collapse, she now helps her audience debunk the myths of the last decade so as to be much better prepared for the future. An ardent advocate of how we can all become part of the solution, Hertz motivates audiences to use their new knowledge and understanding to leave a lasting legacy that can change the world.