WHAT: This week, stocks have plunged drastically for various banks in the U.S. and Europe, and last week we saw the closure of three major banking institution’s including Silicon Valley Bank and cryptocurrency adjacent banks, Signature Bank and Silverlake Bank. These were some of the largest bank collapses in U.S. history. Yesterday, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen held a press conference to reinforce to Americans that the U.S. bank system is stable, and they can feel confident in the system.

American University has various professors available to comment on the stability of the financial markets, the U.S. banking industry and provide reactions to Secretary Yellen’s statements.

WHEN: Friday, March 17, 2023 – ongoing

WHO: American University experts include:

Valentina Bruno is a professor in American University’s Kogod School of Business. She is an expert on international finance, corporate governance, and financial intermediation. She studies how global financial markets interact with the real economy. She holds a master’s in finance and economics and a Ph.D. in Finance from the London School of Economics.

Gerard (Jerry) Comizio is the associate director of the Business Law Program at AU’s Washington College of Law. He teaches courses on U.S. and international banking law, virtual currency law, regulation of financial institutions and U.S. business associations. He is a leading authority on financial services regulatory, transactional, and compliance matters. He had extensive experience in private practice representing a wide range of financial services companies, including both domestic and foreign banking organizations, non-bank financial institutions, online banking, fintech companies, virtual currency exchanges and private equity firms.

Mary Eschelbach Hansen is professor of economics at American University. She is co-author Bankrupt in America, which traces how and why bankruptcy was transformed from an infrequently used provision in the U.S. Constitution, to an indispensable tool for businesses, to a central element of the social safety net for ordinary Americans — all in less than a century.

Robin Lumsdaine is a professor and the Chair of the Finance and Real Estate department in the Kogod School of Business. She is an expert on international finance and banking regulations and has been published in places such as the Journal of Financial Economics, the Journal of International Money and Finance, and the Economic Journal. She was previously an Associate Director in the Division of Banking Supervision and Regulation and Head of the Quantitative Risk Management Group at the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. She holds a doctorate and master’s in economics from Harvard University.

Bob Sicina is a professorial lecturer in AU’s Kogod School of Business and an expert on international finance, international banking, and global business strategy. He has 30 years of experience in senior executive positions at Citibank, American Express and various entrepreneurial endeavor. His book, Learn From Failure: The Key to Successful Decision Making focuses on how people can better develop their decision-making skills.

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