Joshua Gotbaum

Hon. Joshua Gotbaum, a Guest Scholar in the Economic Studies Program, has worked in the White House and various agencies in five administrations under presidents of both parties. He chairs the Maryland Small Business Retirement Security Board and from 2010-14 directed the U.S. Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. During the 1990’s, he was Assistant Secretary of Treasury for Economic Policy & also held presidential appointments in OMB and DOD. Previously, he worked on White House energy and economic policy staffs.

He also has extensive experience in business and non-profits. From 2003-5, he ran and successfully brought Hawaiian Airlines out of bankruptcy as its Chapter 11 Trustee. He was the first CEO of The September 11th Fund, a $500+ million charity that assisted more than 100,000 families, institutions, and communities. From 1981-94, he was an investment banker with Lazard, providing advice on finance, mergers, and restructuring in North America and Europe. He has been a partner in a private equity investment firm and a consultant to other investment firms. He has served as a corporate director for both public and private companies, and is currently a director of Thornburg Investment Management.

His work includes writing on economic policy, federal budget policy and process, public finance, and retirement and aging policies and programs. He has appeared on CNN, Fox, Bloomberg, CSPAN, and MSNBC and in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post and other publications. He has testified before both houses of Congress on matters ranging from retirement plans to defense housing.

Hon. Gotbaum is a fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration and a fellow of the National Academy of Social Insurance. He has a Masters in Public Policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School, a JD from Harvard Law School, and an AB from Stanford. In his spare time, he sings.