Itinerant Economist

Economists and bankers have long been much maligned individuals; but never more so than in the wake of the Global Financial Crisis. Working as an economist for various financial institutions, for more than 25 years Russell Jones had a foot in both camps, plying his trade in a number of global financial centres and points in between, and experiencing at first hand the extraordinary ebb and flow of an industry that came to exert a disproportionate influence on the lives of almost everyone on the planet. In the process, he met some remarkable people, witnessed dramatic shifts in the balance of global economic and political power, explored in detail the labyrinthine complexities involved in managing modern day macroeconomies, and observed all the arrogance, hubris and day-to-day absurdities of an industry that was in effect allowed to run out of control. It was quite a ride. And not one without its moments of pathos and humour.

"Russell Jones is an international man of mystery marooned in the world of finance. His captivating book asks all the hard questions about life on the trading floor: where am I? Why am I here? Why was I never asked? The answers are in turn vitriolic, incisive and hilarious with a touch of existential angst." Jamil Baz: Head of Investment Strategy at GLG Hedge Fund. "Russell Jones has managed to produce a fascinating insider's account of what it is like at the heart of the financial markets (if indeed they have one). But we are also offered the bonus of a penetrating series of observations on economic policy mistakes around the world in the run up to the Great Financial Crisis and after. The readership of this candid autobiographical account should not be confined to economists." William Keegan, Senior Economics Commentator at 'The Observer'. "Having lived through the same experiences, this is a most intriguing read. Anyone who has been through the world of finance the past 25 plus years should at a minimum, find this entertaining. In fact some might want to read it just to see if they appear " Jim O'Neill, Former Chairman, Goldman Sachs Asset Management

Russell Jones has 27 years of experience working as a macroeconomist in the financial markets, during which time he has occupied senior roles in London, Tokyo, the Middle East, and Sydney, and worked on both the "sell" and "buy" sides of the business. He spent a decade at Lehman Brothers, where he was Chief Economist for Asia and Head of Foreign Exchange Research, and for a period was also Chief Economist for the Treasury Department of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority. Most recently, he has been Global Head of Fixed Income Strategy at Westpac Institutional Bank, where his team was ranked number one in the analysis of the Australian and New Zealand debt markets. Russell has BSc and MSc degrees in Economics and Economic History from the University of Bristol in the UK.