[By Jaehoon Lee, Editor-in-Chief, CEONEWS] The era of “Post-Powell” is fast approaching.
With Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s term set to expire in May 2026, the global financial markets have already begun recalibrating their internal clocks toward Washington’s next decision-maker.
The world economy, having crossed a period of extreme turbulence, now faces a far more complex equation: stabilizing inflation while simultaneously reigniting growth. The next Federal Reserve Chair chosen by President Donald Trump will not merely be the head of U.S. monetary policy. He—or she—will be a decisive key figure shaping global capital flows and determining the success or failure of “Trumponomics 2.0” over the coming years.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent hinted at an imminent decision on January 8 (local time), stating that “the candidate will be decided within this month,” suggesting a major announcement around the World Economic Forum in Davos.
Through its [CEO Plus] series, CEONEWS analyzes the four leading contenders in the Fed Chair race. Among them, the figure drawing the most intense market attention is Rick Rieder, Global Chief Investment Officer for Fixed Income at BlackRock—the embodiment of a “pragmatic market man.”
■ A Four-Way Race for the Fed Chair
Based on intelligence from Washington and Wall Street, the race for the next Fed Chair has narrowed to four candidates:
Kevin Hassett, Director of the National Economic Council
Kevin Warsh, former Federal Reserve Governor
Christopher Waller, current Federal Reserve Governor
Rick Rieder, Global Fixed Income CIO at BlackRock
Kevin Hassett, who chaired the Council of Economic Advisers during Trump’s first term, is widely regarded as someone who deeply understands Trump’s economic philosophy. At one point, prediction markets such as Polymarket gave him a 56% probability of appointment. However, concerns persist that his close alignment with the White House could undermine central bank independence.
Kevin Warsh, a Morgan Stanley alumnus, earned credibility as a crisis manager during the 2008 Global Financial Crisis. While praised for combining financial expertise with political acumen, questions remain about his personal chemistry with President Trump.
Christopher Waller, benefiting from incumbency, represents a “stability card” capable of ensuring policy continuity.
All three share a common trait: they are quintessential policy makers, having crafted and executed policy within government or the Fed itself.
Rick Rieder, however, stands apart—distinct, unconventional, and unmistakably compelling.
■ The Only Private-Sector “Market Man,” Commander of $2.7 Trillion
Rick Rieder is the sole non-bureaucrat, non-academic among the candidates. At BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, he oversees approximately $2.7 trillion in fixed-income assets—roughly twice the size of South Korea’s GDP.
This staggering figure alone confirms his status as a true market practitioner operating at the frontline of global capital flows.
His career mirrors the modern history of Wall Street. Rieder joined Lehman Brothers in 1987, spending 21 years witnessing the rise and fall of bond markets. After Lehman’s collapse in 2008, he founded R3 Capital, proving his independent survival skills. In 2009, after repeated overtures from BlackRock Chairman Larry Fink, Rieder joined BlackRock, where he now serves as a member of the Global Executive Committee and Chair of the Investment Committee.
With reports that President Trump is scheduled to personally interview Rieder on January 16 (local time), markets are increasingly alert to the possibility of the first sitting fund manager ever to become Fed Chair.
■ Why Treasury Secretary Bessent Is Watching Rick Rieder
Why has Scott Bessent, the economic czar of the Trump administration, taken such interest in Rieder?
Following a two-hour in-depth meeting with Rieder last September, Bessent told Bloomberg that he was “astonished by Rieder’s breadth of experience across both macro and microeconomic dimensions.”
The decisive strength Bessent highlights is Rieder’s future-oriented framework.
Unlike Jerome Powell’s strictly “data-dependent” approach—criticized by Trump as “Too Late Powell”—Rieder does not anchor himself to backward-looking indicators. Instead, he analyzes real-time corporate cash flows, productivity gains driven by AI innovation, and the underlying sentiment of market participants hidden behind charts and statistics.
In an era where uncertainty has become the norm, such forward-looking insight could be the most powerful tool for preemptive crisis management. This is precisely why Bessent describes Rieder as “someone who values future models over past data.”
■ A “Pragmatic Dove” Aligned with the Trump Code
Ideologically, Rieder’s stance also aligns with the Trump administration’s priorities. He is widely considered a market-friendly dovish figure, favoring monetary easing.
In multiple public appearances, including a CNBC interview last August, Rieder argued that “inflation is already under control” and called for bold interest rate cuts. He has repeatedly noted that structural service inflation—in healthcare, insurance, and education—cannot be effectively addressed through high interest rates alone.
“Excessively restrictive rates are inflicting unnecessary pain on lower-income households and the labor market,” Rieder has warned, emphasizing the need to lower rates to ensure a soft landing and sustain growth.
These views resonate directly with President Trump’s growth-first philosophy, which prioritizes investment stimulation through lower borrowing costs.
Importantly, Rieder is not a political yes-man. He has expressed caution regarding the inflationary risks of aggressive tariff policies, underscoring his independence and market-driven judgment.
■ 2026 Demands an Innovator, Not a Caretaker
Management theorists often say: “Administrators are needed in stable times, but innovators are required in periods of transformation.”
Should Rick Rieder become Fed Chair, it would mark the most radical appointment since Alan Greenspan—and arguably the most unconventional in the Fed’s history. It would signal a shift away from rigid academic models and bureaucratic inertia toward a more adaptive, market-responsive central bank.
Rieder’s philosophy of “flexible portfolios” would likely extend into monetary policy—favoring adaptability over rigid, rule-based frameworks. In a complex economic system shaped by AI disruption and geopolitical tensions, such flexibility could significantly enhance the Fed’s crisis-response capabilities.
In a recent interview with FOX Business, Rieder reflected:
“When my name was first mentioned, I felt it was the greatest honor of my life. The idea that monetary policy can tangibly improve people’s lives—that is the most powerful form of public service.”
The sentiment reveals how Rieder views the role: not as prestige, but as service to the real economy.
Named Morningstar’s 2023 Fixed-Income Portfolio Manager of the Year, Rieder has spent his career interpreting human fear and desire beyond the charts.
If he takes the helm of the Federal Reserve, markets may finally encounter a central bank that truly “speaks their language”—and one that looks forward, not backward.
Will May 2026 witness the dramatic ascent of a Wall Street field commander to the pinnacle of global monetary power?
That is why the world must closely watch the pragmatic disruption Rick Rieder could bring to the global economy.
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