Georgia Economic Outlook
Agenda
Check-In & Networking:
11 a.m. – Noon
Lunch:
Noon – 12:30 p.m.
Presentation:
12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Introduction
Jere W. Morehead
President, University of Georgia
National Forecast
Mark Mathews
Chief Economist; Executive Director, Research, National Retail Federation
Mark Mathews is chief economist and executive director of research at the National Retail Federation. In this role, Mathews is responsible for leading the research and economic analysis functions at NRF.
Mathews has spent more than 30 years leading teams focused on research, strategy and economic analysis at a number of major corporations in the United States and the United Kingdom. Most recently, he headed the Market Intelligence Group at the World Gold Council where he served as a member of the organization’s leadership team.
Before working for the World Gold Council, Mathews spent seven years working for a $1.4 billion AUM private equity firm based in London. As a principal in the firm, Mathews ran the team responsible for generating investment ideas and opportunities. In his time there, Mathews worked on dozens of deals in the retail sector including acquisitions in the food services, entertainment, consumer goods and internet retail sectors.
Earlier in his career, Mathews worked for the NASDAQ Stock Market as managing director of research and head of strategic planning for NASDAQ’s international operations. Mathews originally worked for NASDAQ in Washington, D.C., before being transferred to London to help build up the firm’s international presence.
Mathews is a Georgetown University graduate, where he majored in finance and economics. He was born in South Korea and has lived in Japan, India, Kenya, Samoa and the U.K.
State Forecast
Santanu Chatterjee
Interim Dean, Dr. Harold A. Black Distinguished Professor and Josiah Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professor, Terry College of Business, University of Georgia
Santanu Chatterjee is the Interim Dean of the University of Georgia Terry College of Business and the Dr. Harold A. Black Distinguished Professor of Economics. He came to UGA in 2001 and has previously served as the Terry College Associate Dean for Graduate Programs and Director of the Full-Time MBA & MS Business Analytics programs.
Under his tenure, Terry’s Full-Time MBA program has achieved international recognition. Since being named director in 2014, he has led the program to a No. 1 ranking in value for the money globally by the Financial Times in 2024 and 2025. In separate rankings, the program placed No. 11 among public business schools by U.S. News and World Report, the eighth consecutive year the survey ranked the UGA MBA among the top 20 full-time programs. He also led the launch of the 1-year Pathway MBA program for students in STEM disciplines, dual MBA programs with the College of Engineering, College of Pharmacy, the UGA-AU Medical Partnership, and the M.S. in Business Analytics programs.
Interim Dean Chatterjee has earned several honors for teaching, research, and service. In 2018, he was named a Josiah Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professor, UGA’s highest award for instruction. He received the Richard Reiff Award for Campus Internationalization in 2021 to recognize his exceptional contributions to global education at UGA. He has received the George P. Swift Award for Outstanding Teaching in Undergraduate Economics three times and Terry’s Hugh O. Nourse Outstanding MBA Teacher Award in 2018.
Chatterjee has published extensively on economics in refereed journals and books. He is frequently invited to present his research at national and international conferences and seminars. He has been a visiting scholar at the International Monetary Fund, University of Hamburg, and Ludwig Maximilian Universitat. He serves as an Associate Editor for Economic Inquiry and on the Board of Directors for the Graduate Business Curriculum Roundtable.
Chatterjee has served UGA as a member of the University Council and its Educational Affairs, Program Review and Assessment, and University Libraries committees. He is a member of the UGA Teaching Academy and a fellow of the Southeastern Conference Academic Leadership Development Program. Chatterjee earned his doctorate in economics from the University of Washington, his master’s in economics from Delhi University, and his bachelor’s in economics from the University of Calcutta.
Closing Remarks
Jere W. Morehead
President, University of Georgia
About Georgia Economic Outlook
Created to convey economic expertise to Georgia businesses and entrepreneurs, the Simon S. Selig Jr. Center for Economic Growth is primarily responsible for conducting research on economic, demographic and social issues related to Georgia’s current and future growth. Dedicated in December 1990, the Selig Center improves upon its predecessor, the Division of Research, which was established in the late 1940s. Through its range of projects — major economic impact studies, economic forecasts, publications, information services and data products — the center’s efforts help to guide business decisions and public policy directions.
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