Gita Gopinath, the International Monetary Fund’s chief economist, has been promoted to the position of First Deputy Managing Director.
She will succeed Geoffrey Okamoto, who will leave the IMF early next year.
Gita Gopinath was scheduled to return to Harvard University in January 2022 to resume her academic career. “I am delighted that Gita has decided to stay and accept the new responsibility of being our FDMD. I believe that Gita has precisely the expertise that we need for the FDMD role at this point. Indeed, her particular skill set—combined with her years of experience at the Fund as Chief Economist—make her uniquely well qualified,” said Kristalina Georgieva, IMF’s Managing Director.
Gita Gopinath said: “Over the past three years I have had the opportunity to experience first-hand and be a part of the hugely important work done by the IMF at the intersection of rigorous economic analysis and public policy. As the pandemic continues its grip on us, the work of the Fund has never been more critical and international cooperation never more important.”
