Ben Bernanke is an American economist who served as the chairman of the Federal Reserve from 2006 to 2014. He played a critical role in navigating the United States through the 2008 financial crisis, implementing various unconventional monetary policies to stabilize the economy. Bernanke's background includes a Ph.D. in Economics from MIT and a distinguished career as an academic before entering public service. His actions during the crisis were widely praised for their effectiveness in preventing a deeper economic downturn.