The OMFIF Podcast

Infrastructure’s role in the Covid recovery

From transport systems to water, and sanitation to electricity, infrastructure plays a key role in the economy, environment and social development. Seth Tan, executive director of Infrastructure Asia, and Neil Saravanamuttoo, chief economist of the Global Infrastructure Hub, discuss the G20’s infrastructure agenda and how to promote sustainable, inclusive and resilient infrastructure globally. 

Music: https://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music

In conversation with Patrick Harker, Philadelphia Fed

Artificial intelligence and machine learning are playing an increasingly important role in everyday life and across different economic activities. From day-to-day operations and the real economy, to financial services and economic stability, regulators, policy-makers and economic actors must consider a multiplicity of factors to adjust to a changing economy.

Patrick Harker, president and chief executive officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, joins OMFIF's David Marsh to discuss macroeconomic developments, transforming financial systems, the future of work, and regulatory challenges.

Music: https://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music

Functions of US fiscal policy in challenging times

In times of crisis, fiscal policy plays a crucial role to stabilise financial markets and help effectively distribute resources across the economy. Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, joins OMFIF’s Mark Sobel for a discussion on US fiscal policy, economic challenges and the long-term effects of policy decisions into the future. 

Music: https://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music

Fed Talk: September FOMC and the strategic review

Alberto Musalem, former executive vice-president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and chief executive officer of Evince Asset Management, joins Mark Sobel, US chairman of OMFIF, to discuss September's Federal Open Market Committee meeting. They cover the Fed’s economic projections, the impact of the Fed’s strategic review on its operational framework, the need for fiscal stimulus to complement monetary policy, and financial stability risks. 

Music: https://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music

The OMFIF/KPMG series: Sustainability and stewardship in asset management

Neil Macdonald, head of the Wealth and Asset Management Centre of Excellence at KPMG, and Amar Gill, APAC head of investment stewardship at Blackrock, join OMFIF’s Brandon Chye to talk about the changing nature of asset management. They discuss how investors are rethinking their focus across sustainability and stewardship in the face of Covid-19, ultra-loose central bank policy, new technologies and disruptive business models.

Music: https://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music

US-China relations and global growth

In recent months, unresolved trade issues and the Covid-19 pandemic have resulted in heightened tensions between the US and China. James McGregor, chairman of APCO Worldwide and a former chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in China, and Andy Rothman, investment strategist at Matthews Asia, discuss economic and political developments in US-China relations, their roles in the world economy, and what the conflict could mean for global growth. 

Music: https://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music 

Japan’s outlook post Abenomics

All eyes are on Japan following Prime Minister Shinzō Abe's abrupt resignation. The departing leader is known for his aggressive economic reform policy, Abenomics, which helped pull the country out of a decades-long deflationary slump. Jun Saito, senior research fellow at the Japanese Centre for Economic Research, and Kotaro Tamura, adjunct professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and formerly a member of Japan's House of Councillors and parliamentary secretary for economic and fiscal policy, discuss the outlook for the Japanese economy, and priorities for the country's next leader.

Music: https://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music

Diving into US investment grade bond markets

James Blair, investment director of fixed income at Capital Group, joins OMFIF’s Pierre Ortlieb to talk about the state of US investment-grade bond markets. They discuss how these markets have performed during the Covid-19 crisis, what central bank policy innovation means for corporate bonds, and issues regarding liquidity and market structure.

Music: https://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music

DLT and its potential use for CBDC

Vijak Sethaput, senior developer for the Bank of Thailand's Project Inthanon, and Sky Guo, chief executive officer of Cypherium, join Chris Ostrowski, commercial director at OMFIF, to discuss the Bank of Thailand’s experiment. They talk about how blockchain can influence central bank digital currency design choices and enable interoperability. Further topics include how a distributed system could solve liquidity issues between commercial banks, and whether central banks will adopt new infrastructure for cross-border payments. 

Music: https://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music

Ahead of the ECB: short-, medium- and long-term prospects for Europe

Ahead of the European Central Bank monetary policy announcement on 10 September, Lars Feld, chair of the German Council of Economic Experts, and Geoff Yu, foreign exchange and macro strategist for Europe, Middle East and Africa at BNY Mellon Markets, join OMFIF's Ellie Groves to talk about inflation targets and the economic outlook for the euro area, and how these will impact fiscal and monetary policy. They also discuss the implications for the market and map out possible paths to policy normalisation.

 

Music: https://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music