In little more than a decade the world has faced two catastrophes that few foresaw and fewer still had plans to address. As populations went into lockdown to slow the spread of COVID-19 and economic activity collapsed, many countries had barely recovered from the previous global financial crisis. The pandemic swept across Ireland in 2020 as quickly as confidence in the country's banks had vanished in 2008. In the earlier crisis, only the tough decisions of a small group of regulators and officials kept Ireland from collapse, though the price of salvation was a huge national debt and years of lost opportunities. As a key insider to the Irish bailout, Jonathan McMahon was at the heart of the response, witnessing what it takes to manage a crisis that threatens a nation. Battle-hardened by his experiences at the top of UK financial regulation during the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Jonathan's advice on how to deal with crises is invaluable as governments grapple with the effects of COVID-19. What will be the long-term consequences of the current pandemic for society? Just how bad will the economic crisis be? What can be done to make it less painful for billions of people? And how can we make our societies and economies more resilient for the future? Jonathan does not have all the answers, but he does have strong and informed views on the actions governments and business leaders must take to make the world safer, fairer and better prepared for future crises. Post-Pandemic is not just a personal account of a crisis past, but also an essential guide for dealing with the crisis present. It is a book for our times.
