Turkish economist to assume strategy director role at IMF

ISTANBUL

Turkish economist Ceyla Pazarbaşıoğlu, a former deputy chair of Turkey’s banking watchdog, has been appointed as the director of the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) Strategy, Policy and Review Department.

Pazarbaşıoğlu, who has been the World Bank Group’s vice president for Equitable Growth, Finance and Institutions since Oct. 1, 2018, is expected to assume her new role on Sept. 15.

“She is an intellectual leader with profound knowledge of how institutions such as the Fund and Bank operate and work together, significant experience on how to design policies to help people especially in emerging markets and low-income countries, and excellent people management skills,” IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said.

“Her outstanding diplomatic touch, leadership ability and record, and institutional knowledge and commitment will help the Fund as it seeks to even more effectively serve our member countries in a very challenging economic environment,” she added.

Pazarbaşıoğlu had a long career at the IMF, where she rose through the ranks and became a deputy director of the Monetary and Capital Markets Department. During her 23 years at the Fund, she worked on a wide spectrum of policy and country issues, ranging from the global regulatory reform agenda to regional and country work on emerging Europe, the United Kingdom, South Korea and Thailand.

In her new role, she will lead the IMF’s engagement with the G20 and other institutions and groups including the United Nations, regional development banks and financial institutions and the G7.

After graduating from Istanbul’s Boğaziçi University, Pazarbaşıoğlu earned a Ph.D. in economics from Georgetown University.

She served as a deputy chair of the Turkish Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BDDK).

She also has considerable private sector experience, including serving as the chief economist of Emerging European Markets at ABN AMRO Investment Bank in the United Kingdom.

Along with other distinguished economists, she is a member of the Basel-based Financial Stability Board.