Patrick Harker

Software engineers know the moment: a program has been patched so often that each fix breaks something else, and the code underneath must be restructured, a step they call refactoring. Much of financial regulation, built in the 1930s, has reached that point, with stablecoins, tokenized assets and AI lending all bolted on. Dr. Harker argues regulators already hold much of the authority to start the rewrite. He shows institutions which changes are coming regardless of Washington, and how to prepare before the next patch fails.

A company puts AI into a process to cut mistakes, and the mistakes move somewhere it isn't looking. Models drift as the world changes. Firms that rely on the same few vendors can fail together. AI agents can make a thousand small errors before anyone catches one. Who on the board owns that risk? Dr. Harker argues that companies do not need a new framework, because the disciplines banks use to manage models and vendors carry over. Audiences leave knowing where to look for the mistakes AI moves.

Interest on the federal debt now costs about as much as national defense, by the Congressional Budget Office's count. Budget deals have promised discipline for forty years, and few have delivered. Dr. Harker takes his model from medicine: GLP-1 drugs work by altering appetite, so patients no longer depend on willpower. Fiscal policy needs the same thing: a binding rule that slows spending automatically when debt crosses a threshold. Without one, pressure on the Fed grows, and the interest line passes defense and keeps climbing.

An economy grows in only two ways: by adding workers or increasing each worker’s output. With the population aging and immigration slowing, workforce growth is weakening, leaving productivity to do more of the work. Can AI help? To a degree. Dr. Harker separates evidence from hype and explains how AI can raise output per worker. Of the economy’s two paths to growth, productivity is the one that remains open.

Four times a year, each Fed policymaker puts a dot on a chart showing where interest rates belong. Dr. Harker placed one of those dots for a decade, and he still writes down his own. In this talk, he gives his read on growth, inflation, and jobs; the policy path that follows; and why the Fed's independence bears on what businesses pay to borrow. Audiences leave knowing where he sees rates headed, and which signals would move his dot.

This keynote explores the economic forces shaping our post-pandemic world: persistent inflation, shifting labor markets, and the acceleration of digital transformation. Drawing on his experience as a Federal Reserve policymaker, Dr. Harker demystifies monetary policy and provides a clear-eyed assessment of where the economy is headed. Audiences will leave with an actionable framework to anticipate economic trends, adapt business strategies, and foster innovation even amid uncertainty.

Risk is no longer just a financial concept, it’s strategic. Drawing on his unique vantage point from leading both a Federal Reserve Bank and a major university, Dr. Harker offers hard-won insights on navigating crises, managing uncertainty, and driving organizational resilience. This session helps leaders reassess how they think about enterprise risk—from cybersecurity and supply chains to public trust and governance—and provides practical guidance for integrating resilience into corporate culture and strategy.

In today’s polarized and rapidly changing world, leaders need more than bold vision—they need disciplined, pragmatic execution. Dr. Harker introduces the concept of principled pragmatism, developed through decades of leading complex institutions. This talk offers practical tools for navigating competing priorities, making data-informed decisions, and building trust in divided environments. Attendees will walk away with new strategies for balancing idealism and realism in boardrooms, classrooms, and civic life.

Workforce disruption is no longer on the horizon, it’s here. In this talk, Dr. Harker outlines what business leaders must understand about reskilling, remote work, wage dynamics, and worker well-being. Grounded in research and policy insights from his time at the Federal Reserve, this presentation equips audiences with a roadmap to create inclusive, high-performing workplaces. Takeaways include actionable ideas for talent development, technology adoption, and aligning human capital with long-term strategy.

This forward-looking session tackles one of the defining challenges of our time: economic mobility. Drawing from cutting-edge research and on-the-ground initiatives launched at the Federal Reserve, Dr. Harker shows how businesses can lead on inclusion—not just as a moral imperative but as a competitive advantage. Participants will learn how to align purpose with performance through inclusive hiring, place-based investment, and cross-sector collaboration that drives long-term value.