Washington, DC – January 30, 2024 – The Association of American Railroads (AAR) announced today the appointment of Dr. Rand Ghayad as the Chief Economist and Senior Vice President of Policy and Economics. Ghayad, an accomplished economist with over a decade of expertise in economic consulting and public policy, will lead AAR’s Policy and Economics team, advancing AAR’s economic strategies and policy initiatives. Ghayad will succeed John Gray, who is retiring after almost 16 years of dedicated service at the AAR.
AAR President and CEO Ian Jefferies expressed confidence in Ghayad’s selection, stating, “Rand’s impressive track record as a thought leader in economics and technology aligns perfectly with the freight rail industry’s commitment to innovation and policy advocacy. We are thrilled to welcome him to AAR and look forward to the valuable contributions he will make to our organization and the rail industry.”
Ghayad recently served as the Head of Economics at LinkedIn. In this role, he delivered thought leadership and conducted cutting-edge research on the dynamics of labor markets. His work explored the impact of current and emerging trends on the future of work and workers.
During his tenure at the International Monetary Fund, Ghayad advised member countries on a wide spectrum of international economic policy and stabilization issues. His work involved innovative research on macroeconomics and finance, analyzing economic issues and delivering policy recommendations to both fragile and emerging market countries.
As a senior economist with the Brattle Group, he worked with the US Department of Justice and federal agencies on a broad range of complex financial and economic investigations. He also provided economic analyses and damages estimates in litigation matters across diverse industries, including aviation, railroads, postal and shipping.
Dr. Ghayad serves as a global fellow at the Woodrow Wilson Center of Scholars and has been an adjunct faculty member at Harvard University since 2014. He holds M.S. degrees in Financial Economics and Multinational Commerce from Boston University and a Ph.D. in Economics from Northeastern University.
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For more information, contact: AAR Media Relations at media@aar.org or 202-639-2345.
About AAR: The Association of American Railroads (AAR) is the world’s leading railroad policy, research and technology organization focusing on the safety and productivity of rail carriers. AAR members include the major freight railroads of the U.S., Canada and Mexico, as well as Amtrak. Learn more at www.aar.org.
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