R3 names first chief economist

Source: R3

Global enterprise technology and services firm R3 has appointed Alisa DiCaprio as its first Chief Economist, emphasizing the need for financial institutions across the private and public sectors to work in close collaboration with technology providers as the digital and traditional ecosystems converge.

By appointing Alisa as Chief Economist, R3 cements its position as a convening force for the type of regulated market expertise needed to accelerate the development of next-gen multiparty solutions that deliver trust across financial services and other regulated industries. The establishment of this role contributes to R3’s objective of redefining how digital trust technology can transform the way businesses and industries collaborate in the new digital economy.

R3 is best known for its DLT platform, Corda, upon which hundreds of businesses build multi-party applications, and Conclave, its confidential computing platform. The firm has a longstanding presence and world-class reputation in financial services, where it has worked in step with regulators and industry bodies to develop software for highly regulated industries since its inception.

As Chief Economist, Alisa will continue to be responsible for R3’s research program as well as advising on topics of relevance to R3 and its wider ecosystem. Her remit includes cross-border payments, digital currencies and assets, trade finance, as well as their public policy and macro-economic implications.

Alisa’s history of intellectual leadership in areas critical to R3’s work makes her an ideal fit for the demanding role of Chief Economist. Before joining R3 as Head of Research in 2017, she was a senior economist with the Asian Development Bank. During that time, she ran a number of large-scale digitization projects in emerging markets and developed the now-standard calculation of the global trade finance gap. She has also undertaken research on fintech, governance, and trade for the United Nations, the US Department of Commerce, and various academic institutions. She received her PhD in International Development from MIT, after earning a BA and an MA from Johns Hopkins University and Johns Hopkins University SAIS.

Dr. Alisa DiCaprio, Chief Economist and Head of Trade Finance at R3, said: “I am excited to bring my experience in data analysis and public policy into this role. The work that R3 does to advance distributed ledger and confidential computing technology within the wider financial services ecosystem is second to none. This role feels like a natural fit in a firm that has worked with industry players and regulators from the outset. I intend to carry that ethos into this role of Chief Economist and am looking forward to seeing what lies ahead”.

David E. Rutter, CEO and Founder of R3, said: “The financial services industry is at a pivotal point in its exploration of emerging technologies and R3 is a core part of its future. Our team of technology and regulated markets experts is what makes us unique in the market, and I am very pleased that Alisa will be taking up her new role as Chief Economist. Alisa’s unique blend of academic, managerial and industry experience makes her an ideal candidate to deliver the important work of a Chief Economist. We are excited to see how she will support R3’s efforts to re-shape financial services”.