During the conversation, Janet Henry covers a wide variety of issues in her role as global chief economist for HSBC, including the bank’s forecasts for growth and inflation in the major economies over the next few years, the need to keep fiscal policy loose in the face of high levels of unemployment, and the policy options facing central banks including the pressures on them to help manage government debt servicing. During the interview, Janet explained her thoughts on a more positive outlook for the European Monetary Union following the recent decisions and announcements by politicians, the EU and ECB. Lastly, the discussion widened out to the debt problems facing the developed and emerging markets against the backdrop of slower trend growth and a possible second wave for the corona virus.

Janet Henry is global chief economist at the international bank HSBC. Her career began at the Economic Intelligence Unit; she moved to HSBC Securities as Asian Economist in 1996, became the Chief European Economist in 2007 and took up her current position as Global Chief Economist in 2015.