New Delhi, India (CU)_ According to Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, Indian national Krishna Srinivasan has been appointed as the director of Asia and Pacific Department (APD) beginning June 22. According to the latest announcement from the IMF, Mr. Srinivasan will replace Changyong Rhee, who announced his retirement from the Fund on March 23.
Ms. Georgieva said, “Krishna is a highly regarded member of our Fund family and has made many important and innovative contributions to our mission throughout his career at the Fund”. Mr. Srinivasan began his career in 1994 with the Economist Program and has over 27 years of experience with the Fund. As the current Deputy Director of APD, he handles the department’s surveillance work on a number of big and systemically significant nations, such as China and Korea, as well as smaller Pacific nations, such as Fiji and Vanuatu.
According to Ms. Georgieva, Mr. Srinivasan’s appointment is a result of his exemplary record of leadership in a variety of departments, including the African Department (AFR), European Department (EUR), Monetary and Capital Market Department (MCM), RES, Strategy, Policy and Review Department (SPR), and West Hemisphere Department (WHD). She said, “This range of work and experiences is reflective of his career during which he has worked on the full spectrum of the Fund’s membership from low-income countries, to emerging markets, and advanced economies”.
According to Ms. Georgieva, he has earned a stellar reputation as a first-rate collaborator and trusted counsel in his dealings with Fund colleagues and foreign authorities over the years. Mr. Srinivasan graduated with a PhD Honors in Economics from Indiana University, a Master’s in Economics from the Delhi School of Economics, and a Bachelor’s Honors in Economics from the University of Delhi.
Ms. Georgieva said, “He is known for fostering an open dialogue as the way to building strong relationships and achieving traction with country authorities. Krishna has also helped to nurture the careers of many Fund staff as a coach and mentor. As Director, I know that he will continue to provide excellent leadership and advice to our membership and to staff within and outside APD”.
Ms. Georgieva added, “He has made his mark as a strategic thinker, innovator, and people manager. In fact, he was one of the first managers to receive the Fund’s Excellence in Leadership Award when it was inaugurated in 2010. That same year, he was also one of the first to receive the Fund’s Award for Extraordinary Effort, which speaks to Krishna’s willingness to go above and beyond to ensure that the Fund is providing the best service to its membership”.
Before joining the Fund, Mr. Srinivasan served as an assistant professor of Economics and International Finance at Indiana-Purdue University, as well as served as a consultant for the World Bank in Washington, D.C., and the Center for Policy Research and Planning Commission in New Delhi. His extensive study on Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean, and on climate and other economic and development challenges has been published in books, scholarly journals, and media releases.
