Previously, Dr. Leeds has held a range of positions that bridged his interests in international business, finance and public policy, including: Managing Director and co-head of the emerging markets practice at Patricof & Co., a New York-based venture capital firm and merchant bank; Partner at KPMG (the Barents Group), where he headed their global privatization advisory services; senior staff member at the International Finance Corporation, the World Bank affiliate that provides financing for private companies in developing countries; and, Associate at Salomon Brothers, the Wall Street investment bank. During his career, Dr. Leeds has worked in more than 100 countries in Asia, Latin America, Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, and Africa.
In addition to teaching at SAIS and Wharton, Dr. Leeds spent two years at the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, teaching and heading a research project on privatization in developing countries. He also has guest lectured at numerous universities around the world, has authored a book entitled Financing Small Enterprises in Developing Countries, and written more than 30 published articles. He has been a guest commentator on radio and television programs including CNN, Bloomberg News, CBS News, CNBC and National Public Radio. Dr. Leeds is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations in New York, and has served on numerous boards. He received his undergraduate degree from Columbia University, and his M.A. and PhD from SAIS.