KPMG hires Diane Swonk as chief economist

KPMG US has hired Diane Swonk, a prominent macroeconomist with expertise in labor markets and monetary policy, as managing director and chief economist.

Based in Chicago, Swonk will head the Big Four firm’s office of the chief economist, which provides economic insights to clients. Companies will be especially interested in Swonk’s monetary policy expertise as central banks continue to raise rates to combat persistent inflation.

Swonk brings more than 30 years of experience in financial services and consulting. She currently serves on the US Chamber of Commerce economic advisory board and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Swonk previously advised the Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) for the White House under three presidents and served two terms on the Congressional Budget Office’s panel of economic advisors. She is a frequent commentator on the US economy in various outlets, including CNBC, MSNBC, The New York Times, and The Washington Post.

“Our Office of the Chief Economist offers leading economic intelligence to help our clients improve strategic decision-making,” said Tandra Jackson, vice chair – growth and strategy, KPMG US. “Diane’s broad experience and wide-reaching influence will be tremendously valuable in leading those efforts.”

Swonk joins KPMG from Grant Thornton, where she spent the last four-and-a-half years as chief economist. Before that, she was chief economist at Mesirow Financial and Bank One Corporation.

Swonk has master’s and bachelor’s degrees in economics from the University of Michigan and an MBA from the University of Chicago.

“I am so excited to be joining such an extraordinary team KPMG US,” Swonk said in a LinkedIn post.