Ms. Christine Lagarde, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), announced today her intention to name Mr. Jianhai Lin the Secretary of the Fund.

“I have informed the Executive Board of my intention to appoint Jianhai Lin as the Secretary of the Fund,” Ms. Lagarde stated. “Jianhai has had a wide-ranging Fund career in both country and policy work. This breadth of experience has been of particular benefit to the IMF, where Jianhai's skill in building consensus among staff, Management and our global membership has been essential for the productive work of the Executive Board during one of the most challenging periods in the Fund's history.”

Mr. Lin, a Chinese national, studied at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing, China, and University of California at Berkeley, and earned his doctorate in international finance from the George Washington University. Before coming to the Fund, he worked in the financial sector and academia.  

Mr. Lin has been Acting Director of Secretary’s Department since November 2011. He will succeed Mr. Siddharth Tiwari, who was recently appointed as Director of the Strategy, Policy and Review Department (see Press Release No. 11/417). Mr. Lin's appointment will take effect on March 22.

The Secretary’s Department has operational responsibility for the 24-member Executive Board of the IMF, and also serves as the regular point of contact with the Fund’s 187 member countries on institutional matters. This includes responsibility for working with the IMF’s Board of Governors, and the policy-guiding International Monetary and Financial Committee.