Peter Orszag was born in Boston in 1968 and grew up in nearby Lexington. He attended Phillips Exeter Academy, a private secondary school, and graduated with high honors. He went on to Princeton University where he graduated summa cum laude in economics in 1991. Orszag continued his education in economics and received a master’s degree and Ph.D. from London School of Economics.
Peter Orszag began his career as an economist as a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, a nonprofit public policy organization based in Washington, D.C. As the Deputy Director of Economic Studies, Orszag oversaw the Hamilton Project and the Pew Charitable Trust’s Retirement Security Project. Through the Brookings Institution, Orszag worked on economic budget issues, including social security and health care reform.
Orszag served under President Clinton as Special Assistant to the President for Economic Policy. Years later, he served the Obama administration as the director of the Office of Management and Budget, which is responsible for creating the federal budget and overseeing the effectiveness of federal programs.
Prior to his work with President Obama, Orszag served as director of the Congressional Budget Office from January 2007 to November 2008. From this position, Orszag continually stressed the importance of health care reform in creating a stable economy.
Since January 2011, Orszag has worked as a Vice Chairman of Global Banking at Citigroup and holds this position currently. At Citigroup, Orszag continues to promote free markets, balanced budgets, and limited regulation.
Outside of his work at Citigroup, Peter Orszag serves as an adjunct senior fellow in the Council on Foreign Relations. The Council on Foreign Relations is a nonprofit nonpartisan organization that specializes in U.S. foreign policy and international affairs.
Orszag also currently writes a bimonthly column for the Bloomberg View. His column covers a variety of topics, including consumer-directed health care, political polarization, and the growing gaps in life expectancy.
Orszag has also written an Op-Ed column in The New York Times. He enjoys running and participates in marathons. Orszag is married to Bianna Golodryga of ABC News.