Sherry Cooper
Encyclopedia
Sherry S. Cooper is a Canadian
-American
economist
. She is currently Chief Economist of BMO Capital Markets
, with responsibilities for economic forecasting and risk assessment. She comments regularly in the press on financial issues.
in 1972 and an M.A. and Ph.D from the University of Pittsburgh
in 1976 and 1978, respectively. From 1977 to 1982 she worked as an economist for the Federal Reserve Board.
In 1983, accompanied by her (now divorced) husband and her son, Stefan Atkinson (b. 1980), Cooper moved to Toronto
to accept a position with Burns Fry Limited; subsequently becoming a dual citizen of Canada and the United States. She is now married to Toronto businessman Peter J. Cooper.
") should be attempted immediately because the conversion rate would only be worse in future.
After the Canadian dollar achieved parity with the U.S. dollar on September 20, 2007, Cooper conceded that "dollarization in the real world is political... Canadians do not want to lose an independent Bank of Canada, and the U.S. probably wouldn’t want to incorporate Canadian considerations in their deliberations," but argued that a united currency would lead to a much simpler and more convenient world for North Americans.
By July 2008, her mindset had changed on the matter and she stated in a note to institutional investors that, "The world may realize that it is no longer reasonable for the (US) dollar to be the anchor currency."
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
-American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
economist
Economist
An economist is a professional in the social science discipline of economics. The individual may also study, develop, and apply theories and concepts from economics and write about economic policy...
. She is currently Chief Economist of BMO Capital Markets
BMO Capital Markets
BMO Capital Markets is a North American financial services provider that offers corporate, institutional and government clients access to a complete range of products and services...
, with responsibilities for economic forecasting and risk assessment. She comments regularly in the press on financial issues.
Education and career
Cooper was born in Baltimore, Maryland. She earned a B.A from Goucher CollegeGoucher College
Goucher College is a private, co-educational, liberal arts college located in the northern Baltimore suburb of Towson in unincorporated Baltimore County, Maryland, on a 287 acre campus. The school has approximately 1,475 undergraduate students studying in 31 majors and six interdisciplinary...
in 1972 and an M.A. and Ph.D from the University of Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
in 1976 and 1978, respectively. From 1977 to 1982 she worked as an economist for the Federal Reserve Board.
In 1983, accompanied by her (now divorced) husband and her son, Stefan Atkinson (b. 1980), Cooper moved to Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
to accept a position with Burns Fry Limited; subsequently becoming a dual citizen of Canada and the United States. She is now married to Toronto businessman Peter J. Cooper.
Press commentary
Cooper is best known for her constant prediction that the devaluation of the Canadian dollar is an inexorable long-term trend, and that a Canada-U.S. currency union (which she describes as "dollarizationDollarization
Dollarization occurs when the inhabitants of a country use foreign currency in parallel to or instead of the domestic currency. The term is not only applied to usage of the United States dollar, but generally to the use of any foreign currency as the national currency.The biggest economies to have...
") should be attempted immediately because the conversion rate would only be worse in future.
After the Canadian dollar achieved parity with the U.S. dollar on September 20, 2007, Cooper conceded that "dollarization in the real world is political... Canadians do not want to lose an independent Bank of Canada, and the U.S. probably wouldn’t want to incorporate Canadian considerations in their deliberations," but argued that a united currency would lead to a much simpler and more convenient world for North Americans.
By July 2008, her mindset had changed on the matter and she stated in a note to institutional investors that, "The world may realize that it is no longer reasonable for the (US) dollar to be the anchor currency."
Publications
- The New Retirement, Penguin Group Canada, 2008
- Ride The Wave - Taking Control in the Acceleration Age, Financial Times Prentice Hall, 2002.
- The Cooper Files, Key Porter Publishing, 1999.
- Introduction to International Trade and Finance, with Norman C. Miller, University of Pittsburgh Press, 1974.