Economists assess markets, business and politics in Economic Outlook session

Four leading economists will share their insights and predictions for local, regional, national and international economies and financial markets for 2008 and beyond at the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s Economic Outlook conference on Friday, April 4, at the Fluno Center for Executive Education in Madison.

For more than 40 years, the semiannual event has helped business leaders and owners translate economic trends into competitive intelligence.

The event will explore factors impacting the economy, such as oil prices, federal budget deficits, interest rates, employment outlook, the subprime housing market and international trade. Business implications of the 2008 presidential campaign will also be explored.

Business leaders from throughout Wisconsin, northern Illinois and eastern Iowa are expected to attend.

The briefing is scheduled from 8:30 a.m.-3:20 p.m., with a networking reception to follow. Here is the lineup of speakers for the spring conference:

• David D. Hale, global economist/founding chairman, Hale Advisors and China Online. Hale is a Chicago-based global economist whose clients include investment management firms, major hedge funds and multinational corporations. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations in New York and Chicago. He frequently testifies before congressional committees on domestic and international economic policy issues and does briefings for senior officials in the executive branch.
• Ken Mayland, president, Clearview Economics LLC. Mayland’s firm specializes in economic research and forecasting. He previously was the chief economist of two major financial institutions (First Pennsylvania Bank and KeyCorp). Mayland has won awards in recent years from the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago for "best forecast" for short- and long-term interest rates, inflation, dollar-exchange rates and autos.
• Elizabeth Stephenson, associate principal, McKinsey and Co. Stephenson works in McKinsey and Co.’s Chicago office, where she helps lead the Global Forces service line, the firm’s center for analysis of emerging global trends. She has worked with more than 200 client teams on long-term strategic issues. She also is the co-author of a New York Times best-selling book on consumer health. Stephenson’s presentation will review key trends that promise to transform the business landscape in the next decade.
• Donald A. Nichols, professor emeritus of economics and public affairs, UW–Madison. An award-winning teacher, Nichols has played a prominent role in public affairs, both nationally and in Wisconsin. He serves on Gov. Jim Doyle’s Economic Advisory Council and on the board of Thompson Plumb Funds. A prolific writer and nationally recognized speaker, Nichols is well known for his consistent record of accurate forecasting at Economic Outlook seminars. For more than 30 years, Nichols has focused his research, teaching and publications on those factors affecting unemployment, inflation and regional economic growth.

Featured speakers were selected by Charles Krueger, department chair and program director for Executive Education at UW–Madison. Krueger noted an increase of attendees from outside the financial management industries.

"Our Economic Outlook conference is targeted to management teams looking to gain insights as to what economic indicators our experts are monitoring and how this information translates to our economy, markets for products and services as well as the financial markets we borrow and invest in," Krueger says.

Attendees, he adds, leave with insights that help them better align their strategic goals to said trends whether they’re considering budgeting, pricing, forecasting, employment plans or their personal investment strategies.

Economic Outlook is a signature event of the Executive Education program at the Wisconsin School of Business. For more information or to register for the event, call (800) 292-8964.