General Atlantic has added world-renowned economist and Nobel Laureate Michael Spence to its team as a special advisor.
A recognized expert in macro and micro economic growth, Dr. Spence serves as co-chair of the Commission on Global Economic Transformation; is a Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations; is a member of the advisory board and co-chair of the Asia Global Institute in Hong Kong; and is a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. He is also currently a professor of economics at New York University.
“Diverse views are central to our evaluation of opportunity sets around the world,” said Bill Ford, chief executive officer of General Atlantic. “Mike is a distinguished thought leader on the global economy. His insights will significantly bolster our collective intellectual capital and strengthen our ability to navigate trends and macroeconomic shifts, from the globalization of entrepreneurship to digital disruption and growth in emerging markets.”
Dr. Spence’s specific areas of interest include economic policy in emerging markets and the impact of leadership on economic growth. He is also the author of The Next Convergence: The Future of Economic Growth in a Multispeed World.
“Powerful digital technologies are transforming economies around the world, and we are entering an era in which China and emerging markets have more prominence on the international stage than ever before,” said Dr. Spence, “In a world where disruption is the new norm, General Atlantic has a unique opportunity as a global growth investor. I look forward to working with Bill and his colleagues and to sharing my views with and learning from the General Atlantic network around the globe.”
From 2006 to 2010, Dr. Spence was the chairman of The Commission on Growth and Development, an independent international body that analyzed opportunities for global economic growth. Dr. Spence is a Rhodes Scholar and was awarded the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences in 2001 for his contributions to the analysis of markets with informational gaps and asymmetries, and the dynamics of information flow. He served on the board of the Stanford Management Company and previously served on the boards of Genpact, MercadoLibre, and General Mills, among other public and private companies. Dr. Spence formerly taught at Harvard University, where he served as Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, and Stanford University, serving as Dean of the Stanford Graduate School of Business. He earned his Bachelor of Arts at Princeton University, a BA/MA degree at Oxford University in mathematics, and a Ph.D. at Harvard University in economics.
General Atlantic provides capital and strategic support to growth companies. Sectors of interest include consumer, financial services, healthcare, and technology. The firm was founded in 1980 and manages approximately $31 billion in capital. General Atlantic has more than 150 investment professionals based in New York, Amsterdam, Beijing, Greenwich, Hong Kong, Jakarta, London, Mexico City, Mumbai, Munich, Palo Alto, São Paulo, Shanghai, and Singapore (www.generalatlantic.com).
© 2019 Private Equity Professional | May 15, 2019
