Michael Heise is one of Germany's best-known and most esteemed economists. During his 17 years as chief economist at Allianz, the Financial Times Deutschland and the Süddeutsche Zeitung repeatedly named him "Forecaster of the Year". Michael Heise (*1956) studied economics at the University of Cologne. After graduating in 1982, he became a research assistant at the Department of Political Science at the University of Cologne and held his own seminars in the field of macroeconomics and received his doctorate (Dr. rer. pol.) from the University of Cologne in 1986. He was subsequently appointed to the scientific staff of the German Council of Economic Experts (Sachverständigenrat zur Begutachtung der gesamtwirtschaftlichen Entwicklung) and was its Secretary General from 1989 to 1995. From 1995 to 2002, Michael Heise was Chief Economist at DG Bank and Head of Research and Economics at DZ Bank. At the end of 2002, he became Chief Economist of Allianz AG and the associated Dresdner Bank. After the sale of Dresdner Bank to Commerzbank AG, Heise moved to Allianz SE in Munich as Chief Economist and Head of Corporate Development. In his role, he advised the Board of Management of Allianz SE on economic and strategic issues until 2019, including analyses and forecasts on German and international economic and financial market developments. Since leaving Allianz on 1 October 2019, Heise has worked independently as a consultant, advisory board member and speaker for various investment companies and financial firms. In April 2020, he became chief economist of HQ Trust. From 1992 to 1994 he held a lectureship at the European Business School in Oestrich-Winkel and since 1991 at the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Frankfurt/Main, where he holds lectures and seminars on current topics of economic policy as an honorary professor. Heise is a member of numerous committees. Among other things, he was a member of the supervisory board of Allianz Lebensversicherung AG from 2007 to 2008 and again from 2013 to 2018. He is a member of the Baden Baden Business Talks as well as various national and international economists' associations. Since 1986, Michael Heise has published numerous articles in academic publications. In German-speaking countries, he has been a guest author since 1990 for the Frankfurt Allgemeine Zeitung, the Handelsblatt, the Börsenzeitung, the Welt and the Neue Züricher Zeitung, among others. Internationally, he has published numerous articles in the Financial Times, the Wallstreet Journal and Project Syndicate. His regular appearances and interviews in various broadcast formats on national and international radio and TV have made him known to a broad public.