Joseph E. Kasputys, PhD

Dr. Joseph E. Kasputys formed Economic Ventures in 2009 to create and/or invest in start-up and early stage information companies.  Economic Ventures currently has significant interests in five such companies:  PRC Macro Advisors, focusing on the consumer sector of the Chinese economy and its interaction with macroeconomic dynamics, Secured Growth Quantitative Research, providing the financial markets with unique methodologies to enhance investment performance, PCN Technology, offering network solutions, Knoema Corporation, providing web-based search, retrieval and analysis of global data and 6th Grain Corporation, providing agricultural information and solutions for the developing world.

In 2001, Kasputys founded Global Insight, Inc. to join together the world's premier economic information and forecasting firms, consisting of Data Resources (DRI) and WEFA (formerly Wharton Economic Forecasting Associates). He was Chairman, President and CEO until the sale of Global Insight to IHS, Inc. in 2008, and continued as Chairman until 2011.  In 1996, Dr. Kasputys founded Decision Economics, Inc. with noted economist Dr. Allen Sinai, where he continues as Chairman.

Kasputys was Chairman, President, and CEO of Primark Corporation from 1987 to 2000, an NYSE-listed company that was a leading global provider of financial and economic information. He has also served as Chairman of Thomson Financial, Executive Vice President of McGraw-Hill, Inc. and as Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce. From 1977 to 1984, Kasputys held positions at Data Resources, culminating in his election as President and Chief Executive Officer.  He was Deputy Director of the White House task force dealing with the Arab oil embargo in 1973, and later co-chaired the year-long Congressionally mandated study that provided the blueprint for the U.S. Department of Energy.

Kasputys also served in the US Navy, reaching the rank of Commander.  While serving, he was responsible for introducing time sharing and remote computing in the Pentagon and later was the executive assistant to the Chief Financial Officer of the Department of Defense.

Kasputys is a graduate of Brooklyn College and holds both master's and doctor's degrees from Harvard University.  He serves as a director on a number of business and non-profit boards. From 2008 to 2011, he was Co-Chairman of the Committee for Economic Development, a leading business group that develops and promotes policies to improve economic growth, where he currently continues as a Member.