Avinash Persaud's illustrious career spans finance, academic and public policy. A renowned authority in currency, he is also the Chairman of Intelligence Capital Limited and Paradise Beach Limited. He headed State Street Bank & Trust as its managing director and was global head for currency and commodity research at J. P. Morgan. He is emeritus Professor, Gresham College, Senior Fellow, London Business School, Visiting Fellow, CFAP, Cambridge University, Governor, London School of Economics, Member of Council, Royal Economics Society; and President of the Economics Section, British Association for the Advancement of Science. He is a winner of the Jacques de Larosiere Award in Global Finance from IIF, Washington. On financial policies, he was the Chairman, Warwick Commission, Member, Pew Congressional Task Force, US, Member, UN Commission of Experts and Member, International Task Force on Financial Transaction Taxes. He is a former Visiting Scholar of the IMF and ECB and Member of the UK Treasury's Audit & Risk Committee.