Ross Levine

Ross Levine is the Willis H. Booth Chair in Banking and Finance Emeritus. He completed his undergraduate studies at Cornell University earned his Ph.D. in economics from UCLA. He worked at the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the World Bank, where he conducted and managed research and operational programs. His research focuses on two areas: how financial regulations and the operation of financial systems shape economic growth and economic prosperity more generally; and the cognitive and non-cognitive traits of successful entrepreneurs. His two most recent books, “Rethinking Bank Regulation: Till Angels Govern” and “Guardians of Finance: Making Regulators Work for Us,” stress that regulatory policies often stymie competition and encourage excessive risk-taking, with deleterious effects on living standards. Levine advises governments, central banks, regulatory agencies, and multilateral organizations.