Jerome "Jay" Powell (born February 4, 1953) is an American central banker who served as the 16th Chair of the Federal Reserve from 2018 to 2026, transitioning from a successful career as a lawyer and investment banker, including a partnership at the Carlyle Group. A Washington, D.C. native with degrees from Princeton and Georgetown Law, he entered public service in 1990 under President George H. W. Bush, where he notably oversaw the investigation of Salomon Brothers during his time at the Treasury. After becoming a Federal Reserve governor in 2012 under Barack Obama, he was elevated to Chair by Donald Trump in 2018 and re-nominated by Joe Biden in 2021, earning a reputation as a consensus-builder in Washington. His tenure was marked by steering the U.S. economy through the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021–2023 inflation surge, and global trade instability, which coincided with major stock market declines in 2020, 2022, and 2025. Despite mixed public reception to his economic stimulus measures, he capped his career by receiving the Governor of the Year award at the Central Banking Awards in March 2026.