Nela Richardson

Nela Richardson is ADP’s chief economist and ESG officer. She is the head of the ADP Research Institute, where she leads economic research and provides analysis for the public, global and local businesses, and policymakers. She is a highly sought speaker and has delivered remarks at global thought leadership events, including the World Economic Forum Annual Conference and the Jackson Hole Economic Symposium. She is a regular contributor to top-tier media outlets, and her MainStreet Macro blog offers insights on how economic conditions affect small businesses, workers, and households. Prior to her work at ADP, she was principal and investment strategist at Edward Jones, a financial services firm, where she analyzed economic trends and financial market conditions and recommended investment strategies. She has held research positions at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies, and Freddie Mac. She also worked as an adjunct finance professor at the Carey School of Business at John Hopkins University. As well as the PPIC Economic Policy Center Advisory Council, she serves on the Stanford Digital Economy Lab Advisory Group, CSIS Council of Geoeconomic Advisors, National Academies, Sciences, Engineering and Medicine Committee on National Statistics, and the Committee on Automation and the US Workforce. She also serves on the World Economic Forum Council on the Future of Job Creation. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University in Bloomington, a master’s degree in economics from the University of Pennsylvania, and a PhD in economics from the University of Maryland, College Park.