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Brian Deese recently served as the Director of the United States National Economic Council in the Biden administration (2021-2023). In his role as the top economic adviser to President Biden, Deese was a principal architect of the President’s economic agenda, including the American Rescue Plan, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the CHIPs and Science Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act. Deese spearheaded the Administration’s effort to develop and integrate a modern industrial strategy into the Administration’s economic policy – with a focus on accelerating the clean energy transition, increasing energy security, bolstering the resilience of domestic supply chains, and promoting U.S. manufacturing. He coordinated the Administration’s efforts to increase competition and entrepreneurship, lower housing costs and increase housing supply, and strengthen labor protections. Prior to his appointment as Director of the National Economic Council, Deese held several senior positions in the Obama administration, including Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget. He was widely regarded as a key player in negotiating the Paris climate agreement and was instrumental in efforts to rescue the U.S. auto industry during the financial crisis. During the Obama‐Biden Administration, Deese also served as Acting Director of the Office of Management and Budget and Deputy Director of the National Economic Council.

Jaideep is Head of Barclays in Asia Pacific, and a member of the Barclays Corporate & Investment Bank Management Team. He joined Barclays in 2001 and has been instrumental in building the Barclays franchise in India. He became CEO of Barclays Bank in India in 2013 and took on the added responsibility of Country Head of the Barclays India franchise soon after. In January 2017, Jaideep's role expanded and he was named Co-Head of Barclays in Asia Pacific, before assuming sole responsibility in October 2017. Prior to Barclays, Jaideep worked at Deutsche Bank in Mumbai, as part of the Debt Capital Markets team. Before Deutsche Bank, he ran the Debt Origination team at ABN AMRO Securities, from 1997 to 2000, and was part of the Merchant Banking division working on equity capital markets between 1995 and 1997. Jaideep started his career at ANZ Grindlays where he was a member of the Merchant Banking Division in Mumbai between 1991 and 1995. He holds a Master of Science degree in Applied Physics and a Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Mathematics from the School of Engineering and Applied Science at Columbia University, New York.

Axel Weber serves as the President of the Center for Financial Studies at Goethe University Frankfurt since July 2022. He is the Chairman of the Trilateral Commission Europe, and a member of the Group of Thirty. From 2012 to 2022, Axel Weber served as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of UBS AG and UBS Group AG. Furthermore, he was a member and the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Institute of International Finance. Prof. Weber was President of the German Bundesbank between 2004 and 2011, during which time he also served as a Member of the Governing Council of the European Central Bank, a Member of the Board of Directors of the Bank for International Settlements, German Governor of the International Monetary Fund and as a member of the G7 and G20 Ministers and Governors. He was a Member of the steering committees of the European Systemic Risk Board in 2011 and the Financial Stability Board from 2010 to 2011. On leave from the University of Cologne from 2004 to 2012, he was a Visiting Professor at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business from 2011 to 2012. Axel Weber holds a PhD in economics from the University of Siegen, where he also received his habilitation. He graduated with a master’s degree in economics at the University of Konstanz and holds honorary doctorates from the universities of Duisburg-Essen and Konstanz.