Douglas McWilliams

Douglas McWilliams is the founder, and formerly the Executive Chairman and Chief Executive, of the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR). Now serving as the consultancy's Deputy Chair, he is one of Europe’s foremost forecasters of UK and international economies. Apart from his technical skills, he is widely respected for his understanding of the implications of economic trends for business decisions.

Some of Doug’s insights have been highly influential. He was amongst the first to draw attention to the importance of the rising economies in East Asia. More recent work looks at the impact on the international economy of developments in China.

At a domestic level, Douglas is the acknowledged expert on the economy of London and the prospects for the City. He has advised numerous organisations, including Siemens, Vodafone, Oracle, Transport for London, Canary Wharf Group, and The Crown Estate. He has also given formal evidence to Select Committees of both Houses of Parliament, and advises senior politicians on both front benches.

Douglas served as IBM UK Chief Economist before being appointed Chief Economic Adviser to the CBI. At the same time he was Chairman of the Economics Forecasting Group of UNICE, the European federation of employer organisations. He is also the author of the acclaimed book The Flat White Economy, an incisive examination of what makes the London economy tick and the influences over its rapid growth from cycle routes to fintech.