Greg Baer

Greg Baer
Born	(1962-02-06) February 6, 1962 Chicago, Illinois
Nationality	American
Alma mater	Harvard Law School (J.D. cum laude, 1987)
Occupation	Public policy executive
Known for	Bank Policy Institute (2018–present) President and CEO
Notable work	The Great Mutual Fund Trap (with Gary Gensler) Life: The Odds (And How to Improve Them)

Greg Baer (born February 6, 1962) is an American leader in public policy, currently serving as president and chief executive officer of the Bank Policy Institute (BPI). His prior roles include Assistant Secretary for Financial Institutions at the U.S. Department of the Treasury during the Clinton administration and Managing Senior Counsel at the Federal Reserve Board of Governors.

Early life and education

Born in Chicago, Illinois, Baer completed his undergraduate studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, graduating with honors in political science and economics. He earned his Juris Doctor degree with cum laude distinction from Harvard Law School in 1987, where he also held the position of managing editor for the Harvard Law Review.

Career

Baer started his professional journey as a litigation associate at Williams & Connolly. He later took on the role of senior managing counsel for special projects at the Federal Reserve Board, where he was honored with the Federal Reserve's Special Achievement Award.

In 1996, Baer was appointed Deputy Assistant Secretary for Financial Institutions at the U.S. Department of the Treasury, and was promoted to Assistant Secretary in 1999. During his tenure, he oversaw Treasury policies related to the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, spearheaded initiatives concerning financial privacy and consumer protection, and co-led efforts to enact the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce (ESIGN) Act. Under Secretary Lawrence Summers, Baer also managed Treasury’s cyberdefense strategy and played a pivotal role in establishing the Financial Services Information Sharing and Analysis Center (FS/ISAC).

Baer joined Wilmer, Cutler, & Pickering as a partner in 2002 before transitioning to Bank of America in 2006 as deputy general counsel. There, he was instrumental in regulatory affairs and contributed significantly to managing the repayment of $45 billion in U.S. TARP funds. In 2010, he moved to JPMorgan Chase as managing director and general counsel for corporate law, providing legal oversight for corporate operations.

He departed JPMorgan Chase in 2015 to assume the role of general counsel at the Clearing House Association Payments Company.

Bank Policy Institute

Following the July 2018 merger between the Clearing House Association and the Financial Services Roundtable, Baer was appointed president and CEO of the newly created Bank Policy Institute.

Baer has provided testimony before Congress on matters including beneficial ownership reform, regulation of financial institutions, capital standards, and anti-money laundering legislation. He is regularly cited by leading financial media such as CNBC, the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, Financial Times, American Banker, CNN, and POLITICO, offering authoritative perspectives on banking regulation and policy issues.

Writing

Baer has authored two books: The Great Mutual Fund Trap, which he co-wrote with Gary Gensler, and Life: The Odds (And How to Improve Them).

Board affiliations and teaching

At Georgetown University Law Center, Baer holds a position as an adjunct professor, where he instructs courses on financial regulation, commercial and investment banking, as well as fintech innovation. He is a current board member of Honors Carolina and has previously been part of the board for Enterprise Community Partners.

Awards and recognition

During his time in private practice, Baer earned accolades from Washingtonian as one of Washington's "Best Lawyers" and was recognized by Chambers USA as one of "America's Leading Lawyers for Business." Additionally, he has been listed among the "500 Most Influential People in Washington D.C." by Washingtonian for the years 2022, 2023, and 2024.

Personal life

Baer is married to Shirley Sachi Sagawa, a public servant in the United States. Together, they have three sons: Jackson, Matthew, and Thomas.