Robert Johnson
Robert Johnson is the President of the Institute for New Economic Thinking (INET), a globally respected nonprofit think tank dedicated to reimagining the foundations of economic thought. An international investor and strategic consultant, Johnson has advised investment funds on portfolio strategy for decades. He has played a central role in convening some of the world’s leading economic thinkers and spearheading research initiatives that challenge conventional economic paradigms. Before founding INET, Johnson served as Chief Economist of the U.S. Senate Banking Committee under Chairman William Proxmire. He later became a Managing Director at Soros Fund Management, where he oversaw a global portfolio of currencies, bonds, and equities with a focus on emerging markets. Earlier in his career, he worked as a macro strategist and portfolio manager at Bankers Trust Company, specializing in intra-European currency trading strategies.
Robert Johnson Professional Experience / Academic History
Professional Experience
-
President and Executive Director
-
Chief Economist, United States Senate Committee on Bank
-
Senior Economist, United States Senate Budget Committee
-
Macro Strategist, Portfolio Manager
Academic History
-
Ph.D., Economics
-
B.S., Economics and Electrical Engineering
CURRENT AFFILIATIONS
Board of Directors, Economic Policy Institute
Board of Directors, Campaign for America’s Future
External Advisory Council, Princeton University's School of International and Public Affairs
INSTITUTE FOR NEW ECONOMIC THINKING
Johnson co-founded INET with George Soros, William Janeway, and James Balsillie in 2009.
INET has also partnered with academics, business leaders, policymakers, and NGOs, and conducted groundbreaking research projects that challenge economic orthodoxy.
He has also facilitated conferences around the world, from Bretton Woods to Hong Kong.
SOROS FUND MANAGEMENT
Johnson was a Managing Director at Soros Fund Management, where he managed a global currency, bond and equity portfolio specializing in emerging markets.
He was also a part of the famous team of speculators that broke the Bank of England in 1992, forcing the British pound out of the ERM.
His focus was on emerging Asia with a particular focus on the development of China. Johnson has been a participant in many forums in China and is a frequent attendee of the China Development Forum in Beijing.
EARLY CAREER
Johnson was a Managing Director of Bankers Trust Company, where he managed a global currency fund.
He served on the United Nations Commission of Experts on International Monetary Reform under the Chairmanship of Joseph Stiglitz.
He served as Chief Economist of the US Senate Banking Committee under the leadership of Chairman William Proxmire, and was Senior Economist of the US Senate Budget Committee under the leadership of Chairman Pete Domenici (R. New Mexico).
He has also taught as an adjunct professor at the Union Theological Seminary and at SIPA at Columbia University.