Thursday, April 30, 2026
11:00 am - 1:30 pm
Sr. VP & Chief Economist
PNC Bank
Sr. VP & Chief Economist
PNC Bank
Augustine (Gus) Faucher is senior vice president and chief economist of The PNC Financial Services Group, serving as the principal spokesperson on all economic issues for PNC.
Prior to joining PNC as senior macroeconomist in December 2011, Faucher worked for 10 years at Moody’s Analytics (formerly Economy.com), where he was a director and senior economist. He was responsible for running the firm’s computer model of the U.S. economy, edited a monthly publication on the U.S. economic outlook, covered fiscal and monetary policy, and analyzed various regional economies. Previously, he worked for six years at the U.S. Treasury Department and taught at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He was named senior vice president in March 2015, deputy chief economist in February 2016, and to his current role in April 2017.
Faucher is frequently cited in international, national, and regional media outlets including The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. He has appeared on ABC World News, CBS Evening News, NBC Nightly News and Nightly Business Report, and is regularly featured on CNBC, CNN and Fox Business. In addition, he appears regularly on CBS Radio, NPR and Marketplace.
He serves on the board of directors of The Economic Club of Pittsburgh - the local chapter of National Association of Business Economics (NABE). He is also co-chair of the Financial Roundtable of NABE.
Faucher earned a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Pennsylvania, with concentrations in labor economics and public economics. He also has a B. A. in economics from Cornell University.
Executive Director, Automotive Analysis
S&P Global Mobility
Executive Director, Automotive Analysis
S&P Global Mobility
Mike Wall is the Executive Director of Automotive Analysis at S&P Global Mobility, where he leads research and insights into global vehicle markets and industry trends. He has over 25 years of experience in financial analysis, forecasting, consulting, and manufacturing, helping both financial institutions and automotive manufacturers evaluate market dynamics and plan strategically. Wall’s expertise spans vehicle forecasting, market trend analysis, and risk assessment. Before joining S&P Global Mobility, he was Director of Forecasting at IRN, Inc., and he has also held financial and analytical roles in the manufacturing and banking sectors. Mike graduated Summa Cum Laude with a degree in Finance from Grand Valley State University and holds the Certified Management Accountant (CMA) designation.
Tariffs, taxes, deregulation, inflation, and more are top of mind for businesses and consumers alike. Join Gus Faucher and Mike Bickers for an engaging discussion on the economic outlook, alongside Mike Wall, who will offer industry insight into the automotive sector and its role in shaping the regional economy.
11:00 a.m. Network Café
11:30 a.m. Speaker Reception
Open to DEC Board, Life and Gold Members with up to two accompanied guests
12:00 p.m. Lunch
12:35 p.m. Program
1:30 p.m. Adjourn
$55 – DEC Members
$65 – Guests of DEC Members
$90 – Non-Members
Michael Bickers
Regional President, Detroit & S.E. MI
PNC Bank