The macroeconomic environment: navigating the uncertainty

July 13, 2023

What are the macro headwinds for 2023?

In a world of heightened volatility in financial markets and concerns around economic activity – executives need a clear understanding of the macroeconomic environment in which they operate to help make long-term decisions.

In this episode, Dr Alexis Crow, Principal and head of the Geopolitical Investing Practice at PwC, is joined by Pierre Yared, MUTB Professor of International Business, Senior Vice Dean for Faculty Affairs, and Vice Dean for Executive Education at Columbia University Business School. Together, they pull the veil back on some of the most complicated issues that investors and executives are facing in the economic environment today, including inflation, the outlook for recession, future of trade, impact of AI and more.

PwC Pulse podcast series landing page



About the podcast participants

Dr Alexis Crow is Principal, PwC Trust Solutions, Global Geopolitical Investing Practice Leader. A global economist who focuses on geopolitics and long-term investing, she works with the world’s leading companies and private investors to understand and navigate key macroeconomic dynamics impacting their business, strategy, and capital allocation decisions. In her remit, she covers Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Latin America and North America. Dr Crow is a public speaker and frequent contributor to leading global financial publications and media outlets, including the Financial Times, the New York Times, Bloomberg, BBC, BBC Arabic, France 24, CNN, and the Washington Post. Her research is focused on topics including financial stability, the future of trade and globalisation, global energy markets, and investing in real assets, technology, and the future of the consumer.

Prior to joining PwC, she taught at the London School of Economics; led a major policy research project at London UK-based think-tank Chatham House; and served as Managing Director at New York-based G2 Investment Group, where she was responsible for developing investment strategies for the firm and for providing counsel on geopolitical issues.

In addition to her role in PwC, Dr Crow is a Senior Fellow at Columbia Business School and with the Observer Research Foundation in India. She serves as a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Futures Council on Geopolitics, and is a Young Global Leader in the World Economic Forum.

She holds an MA Hons First Class from the University of St Andrews, Scotland, and an MSc and a PhD from the London School of Economics, and is fluent in English, French, and Spanish.

Pierre Yared is the MUTB Professor of International Business, Senior Vice Dean for Faculty Affairs, and Vice Dean for Executive Education at Columbia Business School. His research, which has been published in leading academic journals, focuses on macroeconomic policy and political economy. He is a research associate of the National Bureau of Economic Research and an associate editor of the American Economic Review. Yared teaches Global Economic Environment, a Core MBA course in macroeconomics for which he received the Dean’s Award for Teaching Excellence. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Economic Club of New York. Yared received his AB in Economics from Harvard University and his PhD in Economics from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.


Episode transcript

Find episode transcript below.

Read more »

Contact us

J.C. Lapierre
J.C. Lapierre

US Sustainability Transformation & Operations Leader, PwC US

I am endlessly intrigued by and passionate about helping people and organizations bring out the best in each other.

Follow us