Pérsio Arida (born 1 March 1952 in São Paulo) is a Brazilian economist and a former president of the Central Bank of Brazil. He has a bachelor's degree in economics from University of São Paulo and a Ph.D in Economics from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. As of 2008, he is working as a member of the executive council of the Instituto Moreira Salles. He is also a member of the International Advisory Board at the Blavatnik School of Government (University of Oxford) and a member of the Academic Board of Livres. Personally, he is also a fan of classical music.