Washington D.C( The COW News Digital) Gita Gopinath, the First Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), has announced her resignation. She will officially step down at the end of August 2025 and return to academia at Harvard University, where she will serve as the Gregory and Anya Cuffe Professor of Economics.
Gopinath, who joined the IMF in January 2019 as Chief Economist, was elevated to the position of First Deputy Managing Director in January 2022. During her tenure, she played a crucial role in navigating the global economy through unprecedented challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, soaring inflation, global conflicts, and restructuring of global trade systems.
IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva praised Gopinath’s contributions in an official statement, calling her a “brilliant colleague and intellectual leader.” She highlighted Gopinath’s unwavering commitment to the IMF’s mission and its member countries. “She has been a remarkable economist and an excellent administrator, always prioritizing the professional development and well-being of her team,” Georgieva added.
Gopinath oversaw critical areas such as multilateral surveillance, fiscal and monetary policy coordination, international trade, and sovereign debt management. She also played a pivotal role in IMF programs in countries like Argentina and Ukraine. Notably, she was the first woman to serve as the IMF’s Chief Economist—a position that brought her global recognition for elevating the quality of the World Economic Outlook report.
One of her most influential initiatives was leading the development of the IMF’s Integrated Policy Framework during the pandemic. She also co-led the global pandemic response plan, which helped shape coordinated vaccine financing goals—a strategy hailed as a landmark in international economic policy.
In her farewell message, Gopinath said, “Serving the IMF as Chief Economist and First Deputy Managing Director has been a great honor. I’m proud of the opportunity to work closely with the Fund’s talented staff, leadership, Executive Board, and policymakers around the world.”
She expressed gratitude to both Kristalina Georgieva and her predecessor Christine Lagarde for trusting her with high-level responsibilities. Gopinath now aims to focus on academic research and training the next generation of economists.
The IMF has confirmed that a successor will be announced soon by Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva.
