Gita Gopinath to leave IMF in August, return to Harvard University

Gita Gopinath, the No. 2 official at the International Monetary Fund, will leave her post at the end of August to return to Harvard University, the IMF said in a statement on Monday. Gopinath, who joined IMF in 2019 as its first female chief economist and became first deputy MD in 2022, will be succeeded soon, IMF chief Georgieva said. Gopinath is an Indian-born U.S. citizen.
The timing of the move caught some IMF insiders by surprise, and appears to have been initiated by Gopinath. Gopinath, who had left Harvard to join the IMF, will return to the university as a professor of economics.Kristalina Georgieva offered a glowing tribute, describing Gopinath as “a rare combination of brilliance and humility,” and credited her with helping steer the IMF through some of the most volatile economic periods in recent history. “As Chief Economist, Gita ensured that the World Economic Outlook remained the preeminent report on the global economy—an especially impressive achievement during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Georgieva added.
IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva will name a successor to Gopinath in "due course," the IMF said.In her farewell message, Gopinath expressed gratitude for a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” to work at the IMF, thanking both Georgieva and former IMF chief Christine Lagarde, who had appointed her as Chief Economist.