Michael H. Moskow

About Michael H. Moskow

Michael H. Moskow is the vice chair and distinguished fellow, global economy at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. From 1994-2007, he served as president and chief executive officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. In that capacity, he was a member of the Federal Open Market Committee, the Federal Reserve System's most important monetary policymaking body.

Moskow's career includes service in the public and private sectors, as well as academia. During the course of his career, he has been confirmed by the Senate for five US government positions.

The beginning of his career was spent teaching economics, labor relations, and management at Temple University, Lafayette College, and Drexel University. From 1969 to 1977, he held a number of senior positions with the US government, including Under Secretary of Labor at the US Department of Labor, director of the Council on Wage and Price Stability, assistant secretary for policy development and research at the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, and senior staff economist with the Council of Economic Advisers.

In 1977, Moskow joined the private sector at Esmark, Inc. in Chicago and later held senior management positions at Northwest Industries, Dart and Kraft, Inc., and Premark International, Inc., a spin-off from Dart and Kraft. In 1991, President George H.W. Bush appointed Moskow deputy United States trade representative, with the rank of ambassador. He was responsible for trade negotiations with Japan, China, and Southeast Asian countries as well as industries such as steel, semiconductors, and aircraft. Moskow returned to academia in 1993, joining the faculty of the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University, where he was professor of strategy and international management at the time of his appointment as president of the Chicago Reserve Bank.

Moskow is active in numerous professional and civic organizations. He is chairman emeritus and former chairman of the Japan America Society of Chicago, former chairman of the Economic Club of Chicago, and serves as a director of World Business Chicago. He is a board member and former chairman of the National Bureau of Economic Research, a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago, a fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration, and an emeritus trustee of Lafayette College.

Since leaving his position at the Federal Reserve, Moskow joined the boards of directors of Discover Financial Services, Commonwealth Edison (a subsidiary of Exelon), the National Futures Association, Northern Funds (2008-2013), Taylor Capital Group (2008-2014), Diamond Management & Technology Consultants (2008-2010), and Flowstone Fund. He is a member of the advisory boards to the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, Edgewater Funds, and Promontory Financial Group.

Moskow was born in Paterson, New Jersey, and served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Army. He received an AB in economics from Lafayette College and a PhD in business and applied economics from the University of Pennsylvania. He has received honorary doctorate degrees from DePaul University, Dominican University, Lafayette College, and Lewis University. In 2019 the Prime Minister of Japan bestowed on Moskow "The Order of the Rising Sun; Gold and Silver Star." He's married to Suzanne Kopp-Moskow and has three children and seven grandchildren.