Jeffrey Saviano

Jeffrey Saviano (born September 29, 1966) is an American tax lawyer, technology/innovation leader, university professor, and podcast host. He currently serves as the Ernst & Young (EY) Global Tax Innovation Leader, a founding member of The Prosperity Collaborative, and holds a fellowship with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). In 2016, Saviano delivered a TEDx Talk in Brookline, Massachusetts based on the idea that carbon taxes can help mitigate the harmful effects of climate change. In 2018, in collaboration with MIT and Professor Alex "Sandy" Pentland, Saviano launched the EY Global Advanced Technology Tax Lab. In 2021 Saviano was appointed by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo to the United States Department of Commerce Trade Finance Advisory Council. He is also the host of the Better Innovation podcast, currently in its fifth season.

Early life and education

Saviano was born in Danvers, Massachusetts and has completed his bachelor's degree in accounting from Iona College, Juris Doctor Degree from Syracuse University College of Law, and a (LL.M) Master of Laws in Taxation from Boston University School of Law. Saviano is a lifelong tennis player, including 4 year's NCAA Division 1 varsity tennis at Iona College. He is married with three children and resides in Massachusetts.

Consulting career

Saviano is a Principal with EY and currently serves as the EY Global Tax Innovation Leader. In this role, he designed and implemented EY's Global Tax innovation strategy, integrating tax technology and innovation solution development and R&D teams across the globe. He also designed and built an industry leading Advanced Technology Tax Lab, in Cambridge, MA, consisting of data/computer scientists, software engineers, policy specialists, and strategists to address important tax problems with technologies, such as artificial intelligence (machine learning and natural language processing), blockchain, and new data methods. In 2018, Saviano launched a Research Collaboration with MIT and Professor Alex Pentland, leader of the Connection Science Lab. Focus of the Research Collaboration is to research and experiment with emerging/advanced technology and derive data insights to solve novel tax problems. Previously, Saviano led the EY America's Indirect Tax practice, which includes state and local tax consulting services in the United States, along with value added tax, customs duties, and tax credits/incentives services in the Americas.

Fellowships

Saviano is currently a Connection Science Fellow at MIT. Connection Science is a cross-disciplinary effort drawing on the strengths of faculty, departments, and researchers across the institute, to decode, analyze, predict, and interpret trends in our data-driven world. Connection Science is a community of researchers and practitioners from leading organizations who are working together to invent the future of artificial intelligence, blockchain, and big data, for good. The aim of Connection Science and the fellowship is to help executives, entrepreneurs and policymakers open new possibilities by providing deeper insights into improving lives in our ever changing, hyper-connected world. In October 2020 Saviano joined the Digital Impact and Governance Initiative (DIGI) with New America for a one-year Senior Fellowship. DIGI is renovating democratic institutions by developing world-class, open-source digital infrastructure to power the public sector. The purpose of the fellowship was to conduct policy research and devise new opportunities to govern and fund the development of global digital public goods.

Advisory positions and affiliations

In 2021 Saviano was appointed to the U.S. Department of Commerce Trade Finance Advisory Council, advising Secretary Gina Raimondo in identifying effective ways to expand access to trade finance for U.S. exporters and their foreign buyers. Saviano designed and co-founded The Prosperity Collaborative, a multi-stakeholder initiative dedicated to helping countries create better tax and trade systems through innovative technology. The work of the Collaborative focuses on the development and deployment of innovative technology, improving capacity of tax/trade administrations, technology policy leadership, and promoting open-source technology governance models and digital public goods. The Collaborative is led by a broad coalition of stakeholders, including the World Bank Group, EY, MIT, New America, and the Michael Dukakis Institute for Leadership and Innovation. A leader within the Global Blockchain Business Council Standards Mapping Initiative, Saviano co-chaired an effort to develop standards for blockchain / distributed technology systems applied to Tax. He also holds Advisory / Board positions with Innovation Leader, The Digital Economist, and StreetCred. Saviano co-founded World Orphan Project, Inc., an organization providing relief to orphans across the globe (2008-2018).

University teaching

Saviano developed and taught an Innovation in Professional Services course, at Elon University School of Law (2017) and Boston University School of Law (2020), examining innovation theory and practice, and how it applies to professional service firms (PSFs). The course focuses on the disruptive forces and ‘megatrends’ in the world that have an impact on enterprises; application of advanced technologies (such as AI and blockchain) to business, legal and societal problem solving; derivation of new insights from data science; the ‘future of work’ for professionals; alternative business models applicable to PSFs; incorporating lean startup/design thinking theory into PSF problem solving; and, the rapidly evolving ethics, legal, and regulatory issues emanating from advanced technology application. He has also served as a colleague instructor for Development Ventures at MIT, an exploratory elective Action Lab, focused on founding, financing, and building entrepreneurial ventures targeting developing countries, emerging markets, and underserved consumers everywhere. Saviano previously developed and taught a State and Local Tax course as part of the Masters of Tax curriculum at Suffolk University, Frank Sawyer School of Management.

Podcast host

Saviano is the founder and host of the Better Innovation podcast; long-form interview and content rich discussions with innovation/technology leaders from across the globe. Published over 50 hours of content from conversations with over 70 guests across 5 podcast seasons (2017–present). Notable guests include, Secretary Andrew Card, former US White House Chief of Staff and Secretary of Transportation; Steve Blank, serial entrepreneur and originator of Lean Startup theory; Ivan McKee, Scottish Minister for Trade, Investment and Innovation; Rosalind Picard, Founder and Director of the Affective Computing Research Group at MIT's Media Lab; Greg Medcraft, Director of Financial Enterprise Affairs with OECD; and, Alexander Osterwalder, business model innovation thought leader. Feedspot includes Better Innovation in its rankings of the top innovation podcasts.

References

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