Money

IMF Names Silvana Tenreyro as New Chief Economist

Is this a milestone for gender progress or proof that change is still too slow?

Published JUL 8

IMF Names Silvana Tenreyro as New Chief Economist

Story

Above: Silvana Tenreyro during the spring meetings of the IMF and World Bank in Washington, D.C., on April 14, 2023. Image credit: Samuel Corum/Bloomberg/Getty Images

The Facts

The International Monetary Fund named Silvana Tenreyro as its next chief economist on Tuesday, succeeding Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas, who returned to academia. She will assume the role of Economic Counselor and Director of the Research Department on Aug. 10.
Financial Times
The Economic Times
As IMF chief economist, Tenreyro will oversee the fund's regular economic updates, including the semi-annual World Economic Outlook, and serve as a principal voice on the global economic outlook.
Financial Times
The Straits Times
Bloomberg
Tenreyro holds British, Italian and Argentine citizenship and is the James E. Meade Professor of Economics at the London School of Economics, where she has been on the faculty since 2004. She is only the second woman to serve as IMF chief economist, following Gita Gopinath, who held the role from 2019 to 2022.
Financial Times
Cnbctv18.Com
Tenreyro served as an external member of the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee from 2017 to 2023. Earlier in her career, she worked as an economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston and served on the Bank of Mauritius' Monetary Policy Committee.
IMF
The Economic Times
Bank of England
Tenreyro earned a PhD and an MA in economics from Harvard University and an undergraduate degree from the National University of Tucumán in Argentina. She is married to economist Francesco Caselli, who heads the academic board at the London School of Economics.
Cnbctv18.Com
The Economic Times
Tenreyro joined Anthropic's Economic Advisory Council in 2024, advising the AI company on economic and labor market implications of artificial intelligence. She received the Bernhard Harms Prize in 2025.
MINT
The Straits Times
Kiel Institut

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The Spin

Pro-establishment narrative

Tenreyro's appointment as the IMF's chief economist marks another milestone for women in global economic leadership. She brings exceptional academic credentials and hands-on policymaking experience that make her the right person to guide the IMF through a turbulent global economy. Her selection reflects merit and signals gradual progress toward greater gender representation at one of the world's most influential financial institutions.

Kristalina Georgieva on X

Luis Garicano on X

Agustín Etchebarne on X

Establishment-critical narrative

Tenreyro's appointment is historic, yet it underscores how slowly the IMF advances women into top economic roles. She will be only the second female chief economist in the organization's history, reinforcing concerns that leadership opportunities remain disproportionately male. Isolated appointments amid political headwinds cannot mask broader gender imbalances across international financial institutions' senior decision-making positions.