Bluford (Blu) Putnam

Biography

   Bluford (Blu) Putnam is a senior consultant in the investment industry and the former Managing Director and Chief Economist of CME Group (2011-2023), where he was responsible for global economic analysis, worked with the finance department on various strategic issues, and spearheaded the development of the data science team.

   Prior to joining CME Group, Blu gained experience in the financial services industry with concentrations in central banking, investment research, and portfolio management. He started his career as an economist with the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and later moved to the Chase Manhattan Bank. He has served in London as Morgan Stanley’s Global Bond Strategist and Kleinwort Benson’s Chief Economist. Moving into portfolio management, he has held positions as Chief Investment Officer for Equities and Asset Allocation at the Bankers Trust Company in New York and President of CDC Investment management Corporation.

   Blu holds a Ph.D.in economics from Tulane University. He has authored several books on international finance, as well as published in such academic journals as the American Economic Review and the Journal of Finance, among many others. In the past, he has served on the adjunct faculty of several business schools, including The Wharton School, New York University, and Columbia University