Bob Hunt is a vice president and director of the Payment Cards Center, with responsibility for managing the center and its research agenda. He joined the center in January 2009 and became its director in April 2009.
In his previous role as a senior economist in the Bank's Research Department, Hunt's research focused on consumer payments, consumer finance, and the economics of innovation. His work includes studies of the dynamics of the consumer credit reporting industry, credit counseling organizations, the collections industry, and antitrust issues in consumer payment networks. In addition, while still in Research, Hunt helped guide the Payment Cards Center's research activities by serving in an informal advisory role to the center's director. Before joining the Bank in 1998, Hunt worked for the U.S. Congressional Budget Office. Prior to attending graduate school, he was an industry risk analyst for Bank One, Indianapolis.
Hunt received a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Pennsylvania and a B.A. (summa cum laude) in political science and economics from Butler University.