Michael Piwowar
Showing 1–15 of 17 transcripts.
- Milken Institute20 min
Advancing a Modern Regulatory Framework: SEC Chairman Paul Atkins Conversation | Global Conference
Paul Atkins, Michael Piwowar, Mike
The SEC is executing a strategic pivot from enforcement-heavy regulation to a framework prioritizing economic materiality, aiming to reverse the decline in public companies and revitalize the IPO market through simplified disclosure rules and reduced litigation barriers. Parallel efforts are establishing clear jurisdictional boundaries with the CFTC for digital assets while modernizing fund structures to enhance tax efficiency and expanding 401(k) access to private credit markets. Guided by Enforcement Director David Woodcock's focus on substantive fraud over procedural technicalities, the agency seeks to restore investor confidence and preserve the United States' competitive standing in global capital formation.
- Milken Institute27 min
Conversation with SEC Chairman Paul Atkins and CFTC Chairman Michael Selig | Future of Finance 2026
Paul Atkins, Michael Selig, Michael Piwowar
SEC Chairman Atkins and CFTC Chairman Selig are dismantling a fragmented regulatory landscape by establishing a joint taxonomy and "truce" to clearly distinguish tokenized securities from digital commodities while preventing duplicative enforcement. The agencies are simultaneously modernizing capital formation through disclosure streamlining, approving perpetual crypto futures, and accelerating on-chain settlement to reverse declining IPO trends. These collaborative initiatives aim to provide statutory durability in a post-Loper Bright environment by fostering a single primary regulator framework that retains global liquidity and innovation.
- Milken Institute59 min
Digital Assets at the Crossroads: From Promise to Permanence | Middle East & Africa Summit 2025
Michael Piwowar, Adeeb Ahamed, Yoni Assia, Yuval Rooz, Joanne Strain, Adib Ahmed
Geopolitical fragmentation is driving a shift toward sovereign regional payment ecosystems while AI integration and configurable privacy protocols like the Canton Network address critical interoperability challenges. Simultaneously, legal frameworks in jurisdictions such as the UAE and UK are classifying digital assets as a distinct form of property, enabling the tokenization of trillions of dollars in traditional illiquid assets onto blockchain rails. This regulatory evolution, paired with the rise of stablecoins as primary treasury instruments, is forcing traditional capital markets to adopt 24/7 trading models and modernize legacy infrastructure to meet the demands of a crypto-native generation.
- Milken Institute45 min
Credit Markets in Transition | Global Conference 2025
Michael Piwowar, Michael Buchanan, Peter Gleysteen, Deborah Orida, Michael Zawadzki, Mike Pivovar, Mike Buchanan
Panelists analyzed the current macroeconomic landscape characterized by tariff uncertainty and Federal Reserve rate cuts, while highlighting a $30 trillion private credit market reshaped by regulatory changes that drive capital from banks to non-competitive partners. Industry leaders identified investment opportunities in infrastructure, asset-backed finance, and investment-grade credit, noting that resilient fundamentals and low leverage support default rates under 50 basis points despite weakening investor sentiment. The discussion concluded with a strategic pivot toward multi-asset credit approaches and structural diversification to mitigate volatility risks and capitalize on market dislocations for tactical offense.
- Milken Institute51 min
Credit Investors Taking the Reins | Middle East and Africa Summit 2024
Michael Piwowar, Sandeep Chandak, Michael Gross, Zia Uddin, Orla Walsh, Mike Pivovar
A panel of industry leaders outlined the divergent trajectories of global private credit markets, noting Asia's rapid expansion into a mature source of alpha while the U.S. market faces yield compression and systemic stress from high leverage in the upper-middle sector. Speakers detailed strategic shifts toward labor-intensive origination, specialized financing for infrastructure gaps, and the regulatory necessity of robust legal frameworks to protect investor interests. The discussion concluded that future success depends on diversified, multi-strategy approaches capable of navigating retailization risks and generating equity-like returns as the industry transitions from a double-digit return era to a more normalized competitive landscape.
- Milken Institute53 min
Asset Management: Vying for the Competitive Edge | Middle East and Africa Summit 2024
Michael Piwowar, Todd Boehly, Lawrence Golub, Martin Horne, Camilla Languille, Stephanie Rader, Mike Pivovar
Leading global investors, including Mubadala, Eldridge, Golub Capital, and Goldman Sachs Asset Management, discussed strategies for navigating a shifting landscape characterized by the convergence of artificial intelligence and energy infrastructure needs. The panel highlighted specific tactical shifts such as Mubadala's launch of the MGX AI fund, Eldridge's opportunistic crisis lending, and the region's urgent demand for private credit to support Saudi Vision 2030. Additionally, participants analyzed geopolitical diversification away from China toward India and emphasized the Middle East's role as a critical hub for attracting global AI talent and scaling sustainable technology investments.
- Milken Institute42 min
Fulfilling FinTech’s Promise | Global Investors' Symposium Mexico City 2024
Michael Piwowar, Adolfo Babatz, Marlene Garayzar, Heath Tarbert, Mike Pivovar, Rodrigo Bettini
Moderated by Michael Pivovar of the Milken Institute, the panel "Fulfilling Fintech's Promise" analyzed Mexico's cash-dominated economy and its barriers to financial inclusion through the lens of industry leaders Adolfo, Marlene, and Heath. Panelists from Clip, Story, and Circle detailed how digital solutions are overcoming oligopolistic market structures and high regulatory hurdles to provide credit, savings, and efficient cross-border remittances to the unbanked. The discussion concluded by advocating for robust antitrust enforcement and proactive regulatory engagement to accelerate Mexico's transition toward a competitive, on-chain financial ecosystem.
- Milken Institute36 min
Permanent Disruption: Navigating the Road Ahead
Dan Carol, Michael Piwowar, Tammie Arnold, Elaine Buckberg, Maurice Jones, Mike Pivovar
The Milken Institute's 2022 Public Finance Forum convened virtual cross-sector innovators to address the $4 trillion public finance sector through infrastructure deployment, ESG integration, and adaptive public-private partnerships. General Motors Chief Economist Elaine Buckberg outlined a resilient U.S. economic outlook marked by 3.9% growth and easing inflation, while OneTen's Maurice Jones highlighted a critical need to dismantle credential barriers to advance Black employment and close the racial wealth gap. Complementing these social and economic themes, the event featured commitments from major automakers toward electrification and Alpha Ledger's introduction of blockchain technology to modernize municipal bond markets for greater efficiency and equity.
- Milken Institute20 min
A Conversation With Kathy Hochul, Governor of New York
Kathy Hochul, Michael Piwowar, Richard Ravitch
Governor Hochul is fortifying New York State's fiscal reserves against potential crises while rejecting tax hikes to stem the out-migration of high-net-worth individuals. Simultaneously, she is collaborating with New York City Mayor Adams on subway safety initiatives and advancing the delayed congestion pricing plan to secure MTA funding. Her administration also prioritized keeping schools open during the Omicron surge through widespread testing and is incentivizing the construction of 100,000 affordable housing units to address long-term economic stability.
- Milken Institute1h 3m
Lessons Learned: Market Volatility and Opportunities Ahead
Michael Piwowar, Stephen Berger, Jeffrey T. Dinwoodie, Darrell Duffie, Barbara Novick, Mike Divivar
Panelists Daryl Duffy, Barbara Novick, and others analyzed the February–March 2020 market shock, distinguishing the pandemic's real-economy origins from 2008's financial system crisis while noting that post-regulatory reforms prevented a banking collapse despite severe volatility. The discussion identified specific structural weaknesses in the $20 trillion Treasury and commercial paper markets that necessitated unprecedented Federal Reserve intervention, contrasting these gaps with the resilience demonstrated by centralized derivatives clearing and robust bank balance sheets. To mitigate future moral hazard and improve price discovery, experts proposed immediate regulatory actions including public Treasury reporting, central clearing for commercial paper, and the operationalization of swing pricing mechanisms.
- Milken Institute1h 1m
The State of State and Local with Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot
Lori Lightfoot, Emily Brock, Austan Goolsbee, Michael Piwowar, Tobias Read, Elizabeth Reich, Simone Brody, Mike Pivovar
Led by Mayor Lori Lightfoot, city officials and economic experts convened to address Chicago's $1.2 billion pandemic-induced deficit while discussing nationwide strategies for fiscal recovery. Panelists highlighted the critical need for unrestricted federal stimulus to offset plummeting tax revenues in the service and tourism sectors, contrasting current challenges with the structural vulnerabilities revealed by the 2008 recession. Participants also outlined long-term approaches to bridge these gaps, including Chicago's $750 million equity investment in underfunded neighborhoods and proposals to reform public education and municipal borrowing practices.
- Milken Institute1h 5m
How COVID-19 is Shaping the Future of Retail Banking - Conference Call Series
Michael Piwowar, Mary Mack, Daniel Sheehan, Chris Zingo, Mike Pivovar
Milken Institute experts and leaders from Wells Fargo, Professional Bank, and Finastra outlined a collaborative strategy to accelerate economic recovery through specific policy proposals and rapid operational pivots during the pandemic. These financial institutions successfully mobilized massive remote workforces, processed billions in Paycheck Protection Program loans, and deployed proprietary digital tools to sustain small business liquidity while ensuring cybersecurity. The panel concluded that the banking sector's future will rely on a hybrid model balancing digital efficiency with physical branch capabilities to maintain economic resilience.
- Milken Institute59 min
Modernizing Financial Regulation to Facilitate Shared Economic Prosperity
Michael Piwowar, Kathy Kraninger, Eugene Ludwig, Jelena McWilliams, Joseph Otting, Mike Pivovar, Tom Coury
Top federal regulators, including FDIC Chairwoman Yellena McWilliams, CFPB Director Kraninger, and OCC Comptroller Joseph Otting, are driving a unified modernization of financial oversight through strategic reforms to the Community Reinvestment Act and the reduction of 60% in excessive compliance directives. These agencies are actively streamlining frameworks for fintech innovation via special charters and sandbox programs while simultaneously pivoting consumer protection efforts from punitive enforcement to preventive harm mitigation and financial literacy. With a target to finalize adjustments to roughly 25 disproportionate Dodd-Frank provisions by the fourth quarter, the leadership aims to lower burdens on small institutions and expand capital access to underserved communities through data-driven technologies.
- Milken Institute1h 1m
New Opportunities From a World in Transition
Michael Piwowar, Daniel Farley, James McCormack, Angela Rodell, Bart Turtelboom, Dan Farley
A comprehensive analysis of current global transitions highlights the interplay between persistent political populism, aging demographics in advanced economies, and China's strategic shift toward high-value manufacturing. These macroeconomic realities are driving a recalibration of investment expectations toward a 5% annual return while identifying opportunities in emerging markets' technological leapfrogging, Arctic logistics, and ESG-integrated risk management. Furthermore, the event emphasizes that effective adaptation to these structural shifts requires robust immigration policies, educational system modernization, and a focus on diversity as a tangible driver of financial performance.
- Milken Institute1h 0m
Stability vs. Growth: Unintended Consequences of Post-Crisis Financial Regulations
Kadhim Shubber, Jiří Król, Brent McIntosh, Scott O'Malia, Michael Piwowar
The Milken Institute's London Summit panel, moderated by Financial Times journalist Kadim Shuber, brought together U.S. Treasury General Counsel Brent McIntosh and industry leaders from ISDA and AIMA to analyze the dual impacts of post-2008 financial regulations. While participants acknowledged significant gains in system resilience, such as $1.9 trillion in Tier 1 capital and widespread clearing mandates, they warned that regulatory fragmentation and compliance burdens are stifling capital formation and reducing the number of public U.S. companies by half over two decades. Addressing these unintended consequences, the discussion highlighted ongoing efforts by the Treasury and other agencies to refine rules through cost-benefit analyses, establish Offices of Innovation for FinTech, and pursue greater cross-border harmonization to balance safety with economic growth.