# Peter Orszag

> Peter Richard Orszag is an American economist and financial executive who became Lazard CEO in October 2023 and chairman in January 2025. Previously a senior executive at Citigroup, director of the Congressional Budget Office, and President Barack Obama’s budget director, he now leads Lazard’s growth strategy while writing and speaking about economics, geopolitics, and corporate decisions.

- **Role:** Chief Executive Officer and Chairman at Lazard
- **Organizations:** Lazard, Citigroup, Office of Management and Budget, Congressional Budget Office, Council of Economic Advisers, Brookings Institution, The Hamilton Project, Institute for Advanced Study, Peterson Institute for International Economics, Council on Foreign Relations, Aspen Economic Strategy Group
- **From:** Boston, United States
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** Secondary education; graduated with high honors, Phillips Exeter Academy, A.B. in economics, summa cum laude; Phi Beta Kappa, Princeton University, M.Sc. in economics; Marshall Scholar, London School of Economics and Political Science, Ph.D. in economics, London School of Economics and Political Science
- **Known for:** Marshall Scholar and summa cum laude economics graduate of Princeton., Led both the Congressional Budget Office and the Office of Management and Budget., Co-founded The Hamilton Project.

## Career timeline

- **1995–1996** — Served at the Council of Economic Advisers in the Clinton administration.
- **1997–1998** — Special Assistant to President Clinton for Economic Policy.
- **2004** — Coauthored Saving Social Security: A Balanced Approach with Peter A. Diamond.
- **2006** — Co-founded and directed The Hamilton Project.
- **2007–2008** — Director of the Congressional Budget Office.
- **2009–2010** — Director of the Office of Management and Budget under President Obama.
- **2011–2016** — Vice Chairman of Corporate and Investment Banking and Chairman of the Financial Strategy and Solutions Group at Citigroup.
- **2016** — Joined Lazard as Vice Chairman of Investment Banking in May.
- **2018** — Became Head of North American Mergers and Acquisitions.
- **2019–2023** — CEO of Lazard Financial Advisory.
- **2023** — Became CEO and a board director of Lazard on October 1.
- **2025** — Became Lazard chairman on January 1.
- **2026** — Received the Citizens Budget Commission Medal for High Civic Service; joined the Institute for Advanced Study board of trustees.

## Achievements

- Marshall Scholar and summa cum laude economics graduate of Princeton.
- Led both the Congressional Budget Office and the Office of Management and Budget.
- Co-founded The Hamilton Project.
- Coauthored Saving Social Security with Peter A. Diamond.
- Foreign Policy Association Medal, 2024.
- Citizens Budget Commission Medal for High Civic Service, 2026.
- Appointed to the Institute for Advanced Study board of trustees in May 2026.

## Latest updates

- **2026-10** — On October 22, Lazard reported Q3 GAAP net revenue of $814 million and adjusted net revenue of $805 million, up 11 percent year over year on the adjusted measure. Orszag said Lazard CL would launch in early November.
- **2026-09** — Appeared on CNBC on September 10 to discuss inflation, the Federal Reserve, and the AI buildout.
- **2026-05** — Appointed to the Institute for Advanced Study board of trustees on May 27.
- **2026-03** — Received the Citizens Budget Commission Medal for High Civic Service on March 5.

## Links

- Website: https://www.peterorszag.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterorszag/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/peter-orszag
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Last updated: 2026-10-23