Signal Silvana Tenreyro Assumes Role as IMF Chief Economist

Summary

Silvana Tenreyro formally took over as the IMF's Economic Counsellor and Director of the Research Department on August 10, 2026, succeeding Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas, who returned to academia. IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva announced the appointment on July 7, 2026, praising Tenreyro as combining outstanding academic achievement with extensive policymaking experience. Tenreyro, a citizen of Argentina, Italy, and Britain, has served as the James E. Meade Professor of Economics at the London School of Economics since 2004 and was an external member of the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee from 2017 to 2023. She previously worked as an economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, served as President of the European Economic Association in 2021, and holds a doctorate from Harvard University. In her new role, she will oversee preparation of the IMF's regular economic updates, including the World Economic Outlook, and serve as one of the Fund's principal voices on the global economic outlook.