Philippe Legrain is a critically acclaimed thinker and communicator with high-level policy experience. He is a senior visiting fellow at the London School of Economics’ European Institute, the founder of Open Political Economy Network (OPEN), an international think-tank, and a columnist for Project Syndicate, Foreign Policy and other international media outlets. Previously, he was economic adviser and the head of the team providing strategic policy advice to European Commission President José Manuel Barroso, special adviser to World Trade Organisation Director-General Mike Moore and trade and economist correspondent for The Economist. His four best-selling books include European Spring: Why Our Economies and Politics are in a Mess – and How to Put Them Right, which was among the Financial Times’ Best Books of 2014.

Alongside Sunday Times responsibilities and columns in Professional Investor and Industrial Review, David is a prolific book-writer. In speeches David likens low oil prices to a major tax cut, and distinguishes between good (UK) and possibly bad (Eurozone) deflation. He might also reveal the latest findings of his own Skip Index, a reliable indicator of the state of the domestic economy.