REGISTRATION NOW OPEN for the 2026 TMA Chicago/Midwest Economic Outlook! The education session will take place from 5:00pm - 6:00pm followed by a 2 hour networking reception at The Ivy Room.
Moderator:
Rob Meyers, President, Republic Business Credit
Heading the Origination, Underwriting and Marketing departments as President and Chief Commercial Officer of Republic Business Credit, Robert puts into practice more than 15 years of commercial finance experience. Currently, Robert serves as the President of the Secured Finance Network, previously serving as the President of the Turnaround Management Association & President of the Secured Finance Network’s Midwest Chapters. Robert is a graduate of the University of Chicago and holds an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management. Robert was awarded the SF Net’s Top 40 Under 40 Award in 2016 along with Night of Shining Stars Award by the Chicago finance and restructuring community. Robert resides in Chicago with his family.
Panelists:
Jason Turner, Chief Investment Strategies & Head of Multi-Asset Strategy, Great Lakes Advisors
Jason Turner is the Chief Investment Strategist of Great Lakes Advisors. He is a member of the firm’s investment committee, authors market and economic commentary, regularly presents in the media and to professional conferences, and works with client portfolio managers to support institutional and private clients. As the Head of Multi-Asset Strategy, he is responsible for portfolio strategy, asset allocation, and for overseeing the firm’s manager due diligence and selection efforts. He is also a member of the firm’s Operating Committee and Management Committee.
Prior to joining Great Lakes in 2009, Jason served in various roles for Skyline Asset Management and Aon Hewitt Investment Consulting.
Yelena Maleyev, Senior Economist, KPMG Economics, KPMG US
Yelena Maleyev is a senior economist at KPMG, based in Chicago. With a focus on national and international economic indicators, her research has been featured in prominent media outlets such as The Washington Post, The Hill, Newsweek, Inc. Magazine, NewsNation and Yahoo Finance. She provides analysis and expertise on economic data and policy developments to the KPMG Economics team, firm leadership and clients, aiding them in making informed decisions and managing economic risks. Yelena has developed expertise in the housing, commercial real estate and construction sectors, in addition to her macroeconomic knowledge. Her speaking engagements and contributions to client presentations have made her a sought-after speaker since joining KPMG.
She holds the Certified Business Economist (CBE) designation and is a Director of the National Association for Business Economics (NABE) board, facilitating direct contact with policymakers from the Federal Reserve, the White House and the Treasury Department. Within NABE, Yelena is also serving as co-chair of the Real Estate Roundtable, Chair of the Outlook Survey Committee and is on the steering committee of the CBE curriculum.
Before joining KPMG, Yelena worked as an economist at Grant Thornton LLP. Her work focused on the housing market, construction sector, and the US consumer.
Yelena earned a master's degree in applied economics from Georgetown University and a bachelor of commerce degree with honors from the University of Manitoba, with a major in finance and international business. She has also received training in statistical analysis and programming from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.