This is part of a series ‘Economists Exchange’, featuring conversations between top FT commentators and leading economists
Alan Taylor has an exceptional ability to bring contemporary lessons from rigorous study of economic history. For this reason, he is an ideal external member of the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee, which is where he has been since September 2024.
Taylor is also professor of international and public affairs at Columbia University. He did his doctorate in economics at Harvard, where he studied under Jeffrey Williamson and former IMF chief economist Maurice Obstfeld, both celebrated economists. He has also held appointments at Northwestern University, the University of California, Davis, and the University of Virginia.