Jacques Attali

Jacques Attali is a renowned economist, futurist and writer who specialises in global economic foresight and sustainable development. As founder and first President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Special Adviser to the French President from 1981 to 1991, and author of over 50 books translated into more than 20 languages, he has shaped European policy and international economic thinking for decades. Named amongst the world's top 100 public intellectuals by Foreign Policy Magazine, he currently champions collective intelligence initiatives through his Project 2050 for Life, equipping organisations and leaders with the strategic foresight needed to navigate climate disruption, technological transformation and build an economy centred on education, health and sustainability.

Jacques Attali founded Action Contre la Faim in 1980, launched the European Eureka programme that helped invent the MP3, and established the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, which he led as its first President from 1991 to 1993. As Special Adviser to the French President throughout the 1980s, he shaped policy that would influence European economic integration for decades. His work has extended from advising the United Nations Secretary General on nuclear proliferation risks to originating the LMD reform that harmonised higher education qualifications across Europe. More recently, he has turned his attention to what he calls the economy of life, championing collective intelligence initiatives through his Project 2050 for Life, a global mobilisation designed to focus resources on education, health, sustainable energy and food systems.

A graduate of the École Polytechnique where he ranked first in his class in 1963, Jacques Attali holds a doctorate in economics and taught economic theory at some of France's most prestigious institutions, including the École des Ponts et Chaussées and the University of Paris-Dauphine. He has been recognised with honorary doctorates from several foreign universities and is a member of the Universal Academy of Cultures. Named amongst the top 100 public intellectuals in the world by Foreign Policy Magazine, he has authored over 50 books translated into more than 20 languages, with over six million copies sold worldwide. His writing spans mathematical economics, music, biography, novels and children's tales, whilst his editorials for L'Express continue to influence public discourse. He currently leads A&A, an international strategy consulting firm based in Paris, and serves as President of PlaNet Finance, a non-profit organisation that advises and finances microfinance development in 80 countries.

Jacques Attali equips leaders and organisations with the strategic foresight needed to navigate climate disruption, technological transformation and geopolitical uncertainty. Through his speaking engagements, he challenges audiences to think beyond immediate concerns and consider the world they are creating for future generations, urging them to ask whether their decisions today will give their grandchildren the best possible life. His presentations combine rigorous economic analysis with accessible storytelling, translating complex global trends into actionable insights that help organisations prepare for what lies ahead. Audiences leave with a clearer understanding of the forces reshaping society and practical frameworks for building resilience, fostering innovation and contributing to an economy centred on human wellbeing rather than short-term gain.