Marvin Barth
Marvin Barth is the Founder and Lead Author of Thematic Markets, an independent research service specializing in global political economy and financial markets. With a career spanning over three decades, Barth brings deep expertise across nearly every asset class, central banking, finance ministries, and international institutions. He has served as an economist, strategist, and portfolio manager at leading banks and asset managers, while also contributing at the policy level with the Federal Reserve, U.S. Treasury, and Bank for International Settlements. Before founding Thematic Markets, Barth was Head of FX & Emerging Markets Macro Strategy at Barclays Investment Bank, where he led the firm’s global research on currencies and local market interest rates. He is a recognized authority on macroeconomic trends, emerging-market debt, the U.S. dollar cycle, central bank policy, and structural shifts in the global economy. Barth is frequently featured in financial media and provides actionable, research-driven commentary for institutional investors, policymakers, and market participants.
Marvin Barth Professional Experience / Academic History
Professional Experience
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Founder and Author
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Head of FX and Emerging Markets Macro Strategy
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Chief Investment Strategist
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Chief Investment Strategist and Portfolio Manager
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Chief Economist for International Affairs
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Global Currency Economist
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International Economist
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International Economist
Academic History
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Ph.D., Economics
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B.A., Economics
EARLY CAREER
Marvin Barth has held senior roles across investment management, banking, and policy.
He served as Chief Investment Strategist at TIAA, leading asset allocation strategies for outsourced CIO managers across public and private equity, credit, real assets, fixed income, and commodities.
At Tennenbaum Capital Partners, Barth was Chief Investment Strategist and Portfolio Manager, providing macro insights for bottom-up, special situation investment strategies, supporting fundraising, and launching a macro hedge fund.
Earlier in his career, he spent three years at Citigroup in London, where he developed the firm’s fundamental economic views on G10 FX markets.
Barth also brings extensive policymaking experience, having served as Chief Economist for International Affairs at the U.S. Treasury, as well as an international economist at the Federal Reserve Board and the Bank for International Settlements.
MEDIA PRESENCE
Barth is a frequent contributor to financial media, providing actionable, research-driven insights for institutional investors, policymakers, and market participants.
He appears regularly on CNBC, Bloomberg TV, and Fox Business, among others. In addition to his work at Thematic Markets, Barth is the creator of "Seriously, Marvin?!", a platform where he shares more accessible, contrarian perspectives that complement his in-depth research at Thematic Markets.