Philippe Aghion

Nobel Prize-Winning Economist, INSEAD & Collège De France Professor, Global Authority on Innovation-Driven Economic Growth

Philippe Aghion’s Biography:

Philippe Aghion is one of the world’s most influential economists and a highly respected academic keynote speaker, recognised for shaping how governments, institutions and businesses understand innovation-led growth. He is Professor of Economics at the Collège de France, Kurt Björklund Chaired Professor in Innovation and Growth at INSEAD and Visiting Professor at the London School of Economics. Philippe is best known for co-developing Schumpeterian Growth Theory, a framework that explains how innovation, competition and firm dynamics drive long-term economic progress. His most notable achievement came in 2025, when he was awarded the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, cementing his status as a defining thinker of modern growth economics.

Born in Paris in 1956, Philippe grew up in an environment steeped in creativity and intellectual exchange. His mother founded the fashion house Chloé, and his early years were spent surrounded by artists, designers and cultural figures, an upbringing that shaped his curiosity about creative change and renewal. Academically, he followed a rigorous path, studying mathematics at École Normale Supérieure de Cachan, before completing advanced degrees in mathematical economics at Université Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne. He later earned his PhD in Economics from Harvard University, where his analytical approach and interest in long-term growth dynamics began to take shape.

Philippe’s professional journey spans elite universities and senior economic institutions. He began his academic career at MIT as Assistant Professor, before returning to Europe to work as a researcher at CNRS and later as Deputy Chief Economist at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. He went on to hold professorships at Oxford, University College London, and Harvard University, where he served as Robert C. Waggoner Professor of Economics. In 2015, he was appointed to the highly prestigious Chair of Economics at the Collège de France, a role regarded as one of the highest academic honours in France. Alongside Peter Howitt, he developed the Aghion–Howitt model, now a cornerstone of growth theory, and authored several landmark books including ‘The Economics of Growth’ and ‘The Power of Creative Destruction’.

Why Hire Philippe Aghion?

As a keynote speaker, Philippe is valued for his ability to translate complex economic research into clear, practical insight. He speaks on innovation, creative destruction, competition, inequality and sustainable growth, topics that resonate strongly with policymakers, business leaders and investors facing rapid technological change. His experience advising the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, United Nations, and serving as President of the European Economic Association, gives his talks real-world relevance and authority. Audiences leave with a deeper understanding of how innovation drives prosperity, why institutions matter, and how economies can adapt to disruption while remaining inclusive and resilient.

Philippe Aghion’s Career Highlights:

Here are some of the key milestones that define Philippe Aghion’s inspirational career in economics:

• 2025 – Awarded the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel
• 2021 – Published The Power of Creative Destruction with Harvard University Press
• 2020 – Appointed Kurt Björklund Chaired Professor in Innovation and Growth at INSEAD
• 2017 – Served as President of the European Economic Association
• 2009 – Received the John von Neumann Award
• 2001 – Awarded the Yrjö Jahnsson Award for best European economist under 45