Sheila Bair has had a long and distinguished career in government, academia, and finance. Twice named by Forbes Magazine as the second most powerful woman in the world, she is perhaps best known as Chair of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) from 2006 to 2011, when she steered the agency through the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. For her leadership of the FDIC, she was awarded the JFK Library’s Profiles in Courage Award. A former finance professor and college president, Ms. Bair has been nationally recognized for her innovative initiatives to make college more accessible and affordable. She is a frequent commentator and op-ed contributor on financial regulation and the student debt crisis, as well as the author of the NY Times Best Seller, Bull by the Horns, her 2012 memoir of the financial crisis.
Ms. Bair is the founding chair of the Systemic Risk Council, which monitors and advocates for reforms to promote financial stability and a founding board member of The Volcker Alliance, established by Former Federal Reserve Board Chair Paul Volcker to build trust and promote high standards in government. She is also a Senior Fellow at the Center for Financial Stability and trustee of the prestigious Economists for Peace and Security. She serves as an advisor to Wealthfront, Santander, and the Pete G Peterson Foundation, and independent board member for Bunge, Lion Electric, and Paxos.