The chief economist of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is the economic counsellor and director of the fund's Research Department. The person holding the position is responsible for providing independent advice to the fund on its policy issues, integrating ideas of research in design of policies, conveying these ideas to the policymakers inside and outside the fund and managing all research done at IMF. The chief economist is a member of the Senior Leadership of the IMF.
"The job is one of the most prestigious in the field, and has been held by some of the most prominent academic researchers in international economics." The chief economist is part of the senior leadership team, directly advises the managing director, and leads about a hundred Ph.D. economists in the Research Department.
The Research Department publishes working papers on highly relevant policy and research issues in international economics; produces a number of reports including the widely tracked annual World Economic Outlook; organizes conferences including the annual research conference that brings together top economists and policymakers; and publishes the peer-reviewed journal IMF Economic Review.
List of IMF Chief Economists The position has been held by the following:
NameStartEndUniversity at appointmentUniversity of ChicagoUniversity of ChicagoHarvard UniversityUniversity of ChicagoMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyUniversity of California, Berkeley Harvard UniversityUniversity of California, Berkeleyhttps://www.imf.org/en/news/articles/2026/07/07/pr26241-imf-md-kristalina-georgieva-names-silvana-tenreyro-economic-counsellor-and-head-of-res-deptDesignateLondon School of Economics
See also Chief Economist of the World Bank
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