About

Last updated: September 2020

Here is what I have been up to lately. For the past 2 years, I have been working with The Future Society, helping their growth and improve AI governance worldwide. The Future Society is a global 501(c)3 organization working together with communities, governments and other stakeholders to seize the opportunities and mitigate the risks from emerging technologies, notably AI. Here is why I like that team so much. The rest of this page is mostly a narrated resume – if you want to read about what motivates me instead, it’s over there.

Before working with The Future Society, I was helping the research team at Bruegel with a wide range of projects, notably scientific and innovation policy in Europe as well as the impact of automation on the EU labor market. Bruegel is a non-partisan economic policy think tank based in Brussels, mostly advising the European Commission and the European Parliament.

Prior to entering the EU & tech policy community, I have made my way through a M.Phil. degree in Economics at the University of Oxford, digging deeper into Econometrics, Public Economics and Economic History of the Industrial Revolution and Globalization. I also tried to solve the Tragedy of the Commons. Next to grad school, I founded and led Economists Without Borders, a non-profit student economic consultancy helping NGOs and public agencies worldwide with data analysis and economic modelling. I have also helped an up-and-coming international student think tank develop its institutional partnerships and expert network to bridge the gap between European youth and policy-makers. In parallel, I had a summer internship at Bain & Company in Brussels, helping a major retailer modernize its digital strategy.

I have had my first formal policy research experience in 2015, when I worked at a UK policy institute focusing on international implications of technology governance. Prior to that, I lived in Beijing for 6 months to study finance and strategy at Peking University’s Guanghua School of Management, one of the most enriching experiences in my life. I also graduated from Maastricht University with a B.Sc. in Economics. On the side, I used to do some part-time country risk and political risk analysis for a small Dutch firm.

My activities reflect a broad range of interests and an insatiable desire to learn. I am notably curious about the technology industry, the institutions shaping the private sector and the socioeconomic implications of technological progress. My thesis for Oxford’s Department of Economics was on modelling incentives for international cooperation and regulations, but next to that I was  also learning about technology policy, notably how best practices could be applied to an economy empowered by machine learning.

I seek opportunities to apply this breadth of experience and knowledge to help solve a pressing problem: harnessing transformative technologies for the greater good, while mitigating its risks. To provide unique insights on these issues, I merge system thinking with a passion for disruptive technologies and socioeconomic dynamics. Combined with hard work and a dash of entrepreneurship, this has enabled me to bring people together to accomplish projects greater than themselves – I can’t wait to reproduce these successes! I always enjoy helping people working on interesting initiatives. If you have a suggestion or a question, don’t hesitate to contact me at mexnicolasmoes.com with @ instead of x or feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn.