Jerome Powell

Jerome H. Powell served as Chair of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System from February 5, 2018, to May 22, 2026, becoming the 16th person to serve as chair of the U.S. central bank. Born February 4, 1953, in Washington, D.C., Powell grew up in Chevy Chase, Maryland and pursued a career combining law and finance. He received an AB in politics from Princeton University in 1975 and earned a law degree from Georgetown University in 1979, where he was editor-in-chief of the Georgetown Law Journal.

After graduating, Powell moved to New York City, where he clerked for a judge, worked for several law firms, and began investment banking, working for Dillon, Read & Co. from 1984 to 1990. After Dillon, Read & Co. chairman Nicholas Brady was tapped to serve as Secretary of the U.S. Treasury under President George H.W. Bush, Powell joined him at the Treasury Department in 1990, serving as an assistant secretary for financial institutions and later as an undersecretary for domestic finance. Prior to his appointment to the Federal Reserve Board, Mr. Powell was a visiting scholar at the Bipartisan Policy Center in Washington, D.C., where he focused on federal and state fiscal issues.

Career history

• Chair of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve, February 2018–May 2026
• Member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve, May 2012–present
• Visiting Scholar, Bipartisan Policy Center, 2010–2012
• Partner, The Carlyle Group, 1997–2005
• Assistant Secretary and Under Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, 1990–1993

During his tenure as chair, Powell oversaw the Fed's extensive intervention in the U.S. economy during the COVID-19 crisis of 2020, when the central bank slashed interest rates to near zero and launched massive lending and asset-purchase programs to stabilize financial markets. Powell is the first chairman in 40 years not to hold a Ph.D. in economics, and Bloomberg News dubbed him "Wall Street's Head of State".

What Jerome Powell could bring to a future role: Powell's combination of legal expertise, deep investment banking experience, and Treasury service—including navigating complex financial crises—positions him to provide strategic financial leadership. His background managing monetary policy during unprecedented economic challenges and his reputation for pragmatic problem-solving across public and private sectors would be valuable for organizations seeking someone with both Wall Street credibility and government sector experience.