Gita Gopinath to be next IMF Chief Economist

Gita Gopinath is the new Economic Counsellor and Director of the International Monetary Fund’s Research Department.  

Gopinath, who currently serves as the John Zwaanstra Professor of International Studies and Economics at Harvard University, succeeds Maurice (Maury) Obstfeld, who announced in July that he would retire at the end of 2018.

“Gita is one of the world’s outstanding economists, with impeccable academic credentials, a proven track record of intellectual leadership, and extensive international experience,” Lagarde said in a statement. “All this makes her exceptionally well-placed to lead our Research Department at this important juncture. I am delighted to name such a talented figure as our Chief Economist,” she added.

Gita Gopinath becomes the second Indian after Raghuram Rajan to hold the post. Rajan was IMF Chief Economist from 2003 to 2006 before he joined the Union Ministry of Finance as the chief economic adviser and was later appointed the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor.

IMF’s Research Department director oversees the World Economic Outlook Report, a major survey of the global economy, and several other reports and research projects that determine the financial and economic statuses of countries.

Gopinath, co-editor of the American Economic Review and co-director of the International Finance and Macroeconomics Program at the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), has co-edited the current Handbook of International Economics with Former IMF Economic Counsellor Kenneth Rogoff. According to the IMF statement, she has authored 40-odd research articles on exchange rates, trade and investment, international financial crises, monetary policy, debt, and emerging market crises.

Born and raised in India, Gopinath received her PhD in economics from Princeton University in 2001 after a BA from the University of Delhi and MA degrees from both Delhi School of Economics and the University of Washington. She joined the University of Chicago in 2001 as an Assistant Professor before moving to Harvard in 2005. Gopinath is a US citizen and an Overseas Citizen of India now.