IMF appoints Silvana Tenreyro as new Chief Economist
Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), has announced the appointment of Silvana Tenreyro as the Fund’s Economic Counsellor and Director of the Research Department (RES). Ms. Tenreyro will succeed Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas who recently returned to academia.
“I am delighted to announce that Silvana Tenreyro will join the Fund as our next Chief Economist,” said Ms. Georgieva. “Silvana is a globally respected economist who combines outstanding academic achievements with extensive policy making experience and a close engagement with leading international institutions. At a time of profound transformation and heightened uncertainty in the global economy, Silvana’s mix of intellectual leadership and policy experience will help ensure that the Fund’s analytical work and multilateral surveillance and policy advice will remain at the cutting edge in support of our membership.”
Ms. Tenreyro currently serves as the James E. Meade Professor of Economics at the London School of Economics, where she has been on the faculty since 2004. Her research has been widely published in leading journals and recognized with international honors, including the Yrjö Jahnsson Award, the Bernhard Harms Prize, and the Birgit Grodal Award. She is a Fellow of the British Academy, the Econometric Society, and the Royal Economic Society, and a Foreign Honorary Member of the American Economic Association. She also served as President of the European Economic Association.
Beyond academia, Ms. Tenreyro brings substantial policy and leadership experience. She was an external member of the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee from 2017 to 2023. Earlier in her career, she worked as an economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston and was a member of the Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of Mauritius. She is currently part of the IMF Managing Director’s External Advisory Group and advises leading public and private institutions on economic and financial issues.
“Silvana stands out as an exceptional leader and communicator. She is admired for her thoughtful and collegial leadership style, openness to diverse perspectives, and ability to build consensus while encouraging rigorous debate,” added Ms. Georgieva. “She is also known for her ability to communicate complex economic issues with clarity and precision and fosters constructive dialogue across diverse audiences. These qualities will serve her well as one of the Fund’s principal voices on the global economic outlook and as the leader of the Research Department.”
An Argentine, British, and Italian national, Ms. Tenreyro earned her Ph.D. and M.A. in Economics from Harvard University, following a degree in economics from the National University of Tucumán in Argentina. She will assume her role as the IMF’s new Economic Counsellor and Director of the Research Department on August 10, 2026.
IMF appoints Silvana Tenreyro as new Chief Economist | AviationGhana
