Trevor Williams Profile Picture

Keynote SpeakerTrevor Williams

Author, Academic & Consultant, Former Chief Economist at Lloyds Bank

Trevor Williams served as Chief Economist at Lloyds Bank for over a decade. Now an author, academic and consultant, he analyses the key trends and policies that shape the economy and markets. From energy and climate to how companies use their data to understand the wider economy, he brings clarity... Read more

Biography

Trevor Williams served as Chief Economist at Lloyds Bank for over a decade. Now an author, academic and consultant, he analyses the key trends and policies that shape the economy and markets. From energy and climate to how companies use their data to understand the wider economy, he brings clarity and relevance to an often complex and abstract field.

Trevor worked for the civil service whilst studying for his economics PhD, after which he went on to work for over 30 years as an economist in the City, most notably at Lloyds. His professional life has encompassed equity and foreign exchange, forecasting and financial analysis. Today he provides clear insight into how politics, demographics and trade shape economies and economic trends.

From earnings and inflation to stock markets and trade deals, Trevor explores what is going on in the economy and what it means to organisations and individuals. Looking at both the global and the local, the long and short term, he explains what the numbers really reveal. With a focus on interpreting the information as it is, not as people might think or wish it was, he considers the effects of disruptions like Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic, and how (and how quickly) economies can recover and what actions influence that recovery.

Trevor also studies what risks businesses and government face and how the economy will react. In particular, he looks at the political economics of climate change, including the risks for investors, insurers and the general population that this existential challenge could impose. He examines the economics of energy; the likelihood, causes and potential effects of energy shortages and what decisions and policies have increased the risk of energy reserves running low, as well as the cost to businesses and consumers. Alongside the global market in energy, he looks wider to the globalised economy, the sometimes fragile interdependences, the impact of trade policies and what it all means for prices and growth.

As rotating Chair of the Institute of Economic Affairs’ Shadow Monetary Policy Committee Trevor keeps a close eye on Bank of England decisions and direction of travel. He unpicks the impact of interest rates, monetary policy and quantitative easing and translates them into useful intelligence businesses can use to inform strategy. He also reveals how companies can use their own big data sets to reveal insights into the broader economy and their place within it.

Trevor runs his own consultancy and is co-founder of FXGuard, a fintech based risk management tool for SMEs to manage foreign exchange risk exposure. Along with his own blog, Trevor writes regularly on financial and market matters, including a regular column in the personal finance magazine Moneyfacts. He is the co-author of Trading Economics, a clear guide to the statistics and indicators that underpin market economics. He is a Visiting Professor at the University of Derby.

“The conference was great and Trevor was amazing as always.” Association of Business Recovery Professionals
“Please could you pass on our thanks to Trevor as well - it was such a great and informative session! I had lots of positive feedback from delegates afterwards.” Chartered Institute of Housing
“Our incoming Chairman really enjoyed Trevor’s presentation and the broader economic view he provided for delegates - so I am sure I will be back in touch regarding potential speaking opportunities in the future.” International Egg Commission
“Thank you so much for your excellent contribution to my conference today. Your insights and delivery were brilliant and captivating. Well done. You are a class act!” CBRE
“I wanted to thank you for your excellent contribution to the opening conference session. It was both thought provoking and entertaining. I’ve been stopped by people throughout the conference telling me that our session was the highlight of the event, with one person saying it was the best session for the last three years!” Building Societies Association
“Just a note to say a huge thank you to Trevor who started the event brilliantly and set the tone required for the event. He gave everyone his time and was a pleasure to work with, so please send him our thanks.” Richmond Events

Popular Talks by Trevor Williams

  • Finance
  • Economics
  • Effect of climate change on politics