This program has taken place. Find the event recap and program video recording here »

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted people and economies across the world. An unforeseen human tragedy has become a major economic crisis. The disease is present in virtually every country in the world, and governments have been forced to take unprecedented actions to slow the spread across their populations. As of April 1, the United States has over 215,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases, and that number is growing almost exponentially. Federal and state governments have collectively — and intentionally — shuttered much of the economy. Public gatherings have been canceled, and stay-at-home orders are sweeping across the country.

Amidst this environment, fear has gripped the public markets, and a demand shock has driven oil to its lowest price in decades. The airline, hospitality, and entertainment industries have been gutted. As a result, global unemployment is spiking and a steep recession is inevitable with businesses of all sizes facing the possibility of bankruptcy. For the week ending March 28, over 6.6 million people in the U.S. filed claims for unemployment benefits, far exceeding many economists' expectations.

Government and business leaders are responding to this crisis not just in the U.S. but around the world. Central banks have slashed interest rates and are pumping trillions of dollars into the global financial systems to keep money flowing. World governments are making direct cash payments to citizens as well as small businesses to keep economies from collapsing. Will all of these actions be enough as millions face the realities of lost income, lost savings, and more? Join Asia Society Texas Center for a discussion with Ali Velshi and Marty Goossen on the realities of the economic and financial impact of COVID-19, what has been done, and what more needs to be done to address this issue.

Schedule

Thursday, April 16, 2020
7:30 p.m. Fireside Chat
8 p.m. Audience Q&A (Questions welcome via YouTube)

About the Speakers

Ali Velshi brings his sharp analysis and point-of-view to the new weekend morning show, “Velshi,” airing from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. ET on Saturdays and Sundays on MSNBC. Previously, Velshi anchored “MSNBC Live” and “Velshi & Ruhle.” The MSNBC host will continue to serveas a fill-in prime anchor and cover breaking news for the cable network. Velshi has covered a wide range of domestic, global and economic issues throughout his career, including climate change, the spread and defeat of ISIS, the refugee crisis, the Iran nuclear deal, tensions between Russia and the west, the Greek debt crisis and the global financial crisis.

Before joining NBC News and MSNBC in 2016, Velshi hosted “Ali Velshi On Target,” a nightly primetime show on Al Jazeera America. Before that, he served as CNN’s Chief Business Correspondent, anchor of CNN International’s “World Business Today” and host of CNN’s weekly business roundtable “Your Money.” Velshi also co-hosted CNN’s morning show, “American Morning.”

An award-winning journalist, Velshi was honored with a National Headliner Award for Business & Consumer Reporting for “How the Wheels Came Off,” a special on the near collapse of the American auto industry. His work on disabled workers and Chicago’s red-light camera scandal in 2016 earned him two News and Documentary Emmy Award nominations, adding to a nomination in 2010 for his terrorism coverage. Additionally, Velshi has taken his economic analysis to “Oprah,” “The View,” and “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.”

Velshi is the author of Gimme My Money Back (Sterling and Ross, 2008) and co-author with CNN’s Christine Romans of How to Speak Money (Wiley, 2010).

Born in Kenya and raised in Canada, Velshi graduated from Queen’s University in Canada, which bestowed an honorary Doctorate of Laws upon him in 2016. Velshi splits his time between New York City and Philadelphia, where he teaches a course at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Active in the community, Velshi serves on the Boards of Trustees of the Chicago History Museum, Seeds of Peace, the XPrize Foundation, The National Constitution Center, and the Philadelphia Citizen, and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. As of September of 2019, he is an instructor in “Business Communications for Impact” at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Martyn E. Goossen is Vice Chairman of the J.P. Morgan Private Bank. Marty has over 40 years of experience in financial services, nearly all of which has been in the wealth management field. The majority of his career was spent working in Asia. Marty and his wife, Kathy, moved to Hong Kong with Citibank in 1978 and transferred to Tokyo in 1984. Marty joined JPMorgan Chase in Tokyo in 1988 and remained in Asia until 2006, when he moved to Houston to take the position as head of the Houston Private Bank and President of the Houston Region. In 2017, Marty was appointed to Vice Chairman of the J.P. Morgan Private Bank focusing on the south region of the United States. Marty has undertaken a number of civic responsibilities in Houston. He serves on the boards of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, the Asia Society Texas Center, Central Houston Inc., and The Houston Zoo. He is also a member of the Council of Overseers at Rice University’s Jones School of Business and is a Director of the Singapore American School Foundation. Marty received his M.B.A. from Harvard Business School in 1977 and a B.S. in Economics from Union College in Schenectady, New York.

About Asia Society at Home

Though Asia Society is temporarily closed, we are dedicated to continuing our mission of building cross-cultural understanding and uplifting human connectivity. Using digital tools, we bring you content for all ages and conversations that matter, in order to spark curiosity about Asia and to foster empathy.

About Asia Society Texas Center

With 13 locations throughout the world, Asia Society is the leading educational organization promoting mutual understanding and strengthening partnerships among the peoples, leaders, and institutions of Asia and West. Asia Society Texas Center executes the global mission with a local focus, enriching and engaging the vast diversity of Houston through innovative, relevant programs in arts and culture, business and policy, education, and community outreach.