Laura Tyson

Laura D'Andrea Tyson
Laura D'Andrea Tyson
Born	June 28, 1947 (age 79); New Jersey, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Economist, academic leader
Years active	1974–present
Known for	Chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisers (1993–1995), Director of the National Economic Council (1995–1996)

Laura D'Andrea Tyson (born June 28, 1947) is a prominent American economist and academic leader, currently holding the title of Distinguished Professor of the Graduate School at the Haas School of Business within the University of California, Berkeley. She is also a senior fellow at the Berggruen Institute. Tyson made history as the 16th Chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisers from 1993 to 1995 and subsequently as the 2nd Director of the National Economic Council from 1995 to 1996 during President Bill Clinton’s administration, becoming the first woman to occupy both positions. To date, she remains the only individual to have held these two roles.

Early life and education

Born Laura D'Andrea in New Jersey, Tyson's heritage includes an Italian American father and a mother of Swedish and Dutch descent. She graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Smith College in 1969. She then completed her Ph.D. in Economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1974 under the mentorship of economist Evsey Domar. Tyson began her academic career as a faculty member in economics at Princeton University in 1974 before joining the University of California, Berkeley in 1977 as an economics professor. In 1990, she expanded her role to include professorship in business administration.

Career

On December 12, 1992, President-elect Bill Clinton announced his plan to nominate Tyson as Chair of the President's Council of Economic Advisers. Following confirmation by the United States Senate in 1993, she served in this capacity until her subsequent appointment as Director of the National Economic Council from 1995 to 1996, marking her as the first woman to lead both entities. Throughout her tenure in the Clinton administration, Tyson championed the GATT, emphasizing its potential to create jobs within the United States.

After completing her government service, Tyson returned to UC Berkeley to serve as Dean of the Haas School of Business from 1998 to 2001. She later became Dean of the London Business School between 2002 and 2006, distinguishing herself as the first woman to head both prestigious institutions.

Since 1987, Tyson has been a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Her corporate governance experience includes board memberships at Morgan Stanley starting in 1997, AT&T Inc. beginning in 1999, and at Eastman Kodak. She also participates in the Committee on Capital Markets Regulation and joined the board of CB Richard Ellis in 2010. Additionally, Tyson contributes to the strategic advisory board for QFINANCE and has served on Angeleno Group’s board of advisors since 2019; this firm specializes in private equity and venture capital investments targeting sustainable energy.

Tyson’s scholarship encompasses extensive research on industrial competitiveness, international trade, and economic transformations in Central Europe. She frequently writes for BusinessWeek, The Washington Post, and The New York Times, offering insights on both domestic and global economic policies.

Alongside her academic duties at UC Berkeley, Tyson is a trustee for the university’s Blum Center for Developing Economies, which focuses on combating extreme poverty and disease worldwide.

In 2010, Tyson joined Berkeley Research Group, LLC—a consulting firm co-founded by economist David Teece—as a special advisor. Prior to this role, she had consulted for Teece’s former firm LECG from 1997 through 2001.

Since 2012, she has contributed monthly columns to the international media platform Project Syndicate.

In November 2013, Tyson established the Institute for Business and Social Impact at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business.

External links

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