Woodward on Washington: An Economic, Public Policy, and Political Outlook

Opening General Session
August 12 | 9:30 AM

Joan Woodward, Executive Vice President of Public Policy at Travelers, will offer INA attendees an update on economic outlook and public policy issues facing the new President and Congress. COVID-19 has driven interest rates to historic lows coupled with high unemployment – what will all of this mean for your business? Joan will also speak to her outlook for the 2022 election cycle and what it might mean for tax and trade policy changes, infrastructure reform, financial services policy, and many other issues.

As President of the Travelers Institute, Joan will provide the group with a preview of emerging projects including cybersecurity, ESG issues, disaster preparedness, and the outlook for autonomous vehicle technology.

Joan K. Woodward, President, Travelers Institute, Executive Vice President, Public Policy, The Travelers Companies, Inc.

Joan Woodward is Executive Vice President of Public Policy for Travelers and President of The Travelers Institute.  She is a member of the company’s Management Committee, Operating Committee, Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Committee, and also serves on The Diversity Council, and the Travelers Foundation Board.

Woodward joined Travelers in 2008 from Goldman Sachs to establish The Travelers Institute as the company’s thought leadership and public policy platform.

Prior to her current role, Woodward worked at Goldman, Sachs & Co. for ten years, where she was the founding Executive Director of the company’s Global Markets Institute, the firm’s international public policy and institutional investor educational platform.   She also served as Founding Director of Washington Equity and Bond Research for Goldman Sachs’ Global Investment Research where Institutional Investor magazine recognized her as a top Washington analyst for investors.

Prior to joining Goldman Sachs, Woodward worked on Capitol Hill for 12 years, as Deputy Chief of Staff for the U.S. Senate Finance Committee working for Chairman Bill Roth, where she was instrumental in creating the Roth IRA.  She also was the Chief Economist for the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee and the U.S. House Budget Committee under Chairman John Kasich.

She serves on the Board of Directors of the United States Chamber of Commerce Foundation, is Vice Chairman of the Board of the RAND Institute for Civil Justice, and a member of the President’s National Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Export Council.  Reactions Magazine named her to the Top 50 Women in Insurance, and in 2016, she was named to the Hot 100 in Insurance list by Insurance Business America Magazine.  In 2017, she received the 2017 Power Women’s Leadership Award by NY Moves magazine.

Woodward holds bachelor’s degrees in economics and political science and a master’s degree from The American University. She also studied at the University of London.

 

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