Jeffrey Owens, a public finance expert, completed his doctoral work at Cambridge University in the United Kingdom in 1973. In addition to his economic degrees, he is trained as an accountant.

He was a tutor at Cambridge, the American University of Paris and was a visiting fellow at Bocconi University in Italy and Queen Mary’s College in London. He is an international civil servant at the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development in Paris, where he has focused his activities on the tax implications of the globalisation of national economies, the broader policy issues that arise in the areas of cross-border direct and portfolio investment and tax administration. His earlier work dealt with the development of international currency markets and the implications for monetary policies and the organisation of financial institutions.

He has made numerous contributions to professional journals, has published a number of books ("The Growth of the Euro-Dollar market", “Local Government Finance: an international perspective”: “A Comparison of Tax Systems in North Africa and Europe") and has been the author of many OECD publications on taxation. A full list of publications can be provided on request.

Dr. Owens' position as Director of the Centre for Tax Policy and Administration at the OECD, his frequent participation in international conferences and business seminars and his high level contacts with representatives from governments and the business community have provided him with a unique international perspective on economic and tax policy issues.

Dr. Owens has maintained close links with the business and academic communities in which he worked at the beginning of his career.

Over a 30-year career as an international civil servant he encouraged both OECD and non-OECD countries to develop tax rules which facilitate cross-border trade and investment and also ensure that developing countries benefit from the process of globalisation. He has led the work of the OECD in countering the spread of tax havens and strict bank secrecy and played a key role in achieving a successful action on this work at the G20 London Summit.