International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director, Christine Lagarde, has recently announced her intention to appoint Mr. Mitsuhiro Furusawa as Deputy Managing Director of the Fund. This nomination is timely as present Deputy Managing Director, Naoyuki Shinohara, leaves the IMF at the end of the month.

Mr. Furusawa has served the Government of Japan as Special Advisor to the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance. He studied Law at the University of Tokyo, and also graduated from France’s Ecole Nationale d’Administration. According to the IMF, his roles in Japan’s public service have focused largely on international finance and budget in the Ministry of Finance, where he was appointed Vice Minister for International Affairs.

In the diplomatic service, he has served in France and the United States where he held the rank of Minister (Finance) at the Embassy of Japan in Washington D.C. He has also held positions in tax administration and regional government. He is expected to commence work on Monday, March 2.

“Mitsuhiro brings with him a wealth of experience from his long and distinguished career with the Government of Japan, where he has held a very wide range of positions. He also knows the IMF very well, having spent two years as Executive Director for Japan from 2010 to 2012,” Managing Director Lagarde Commented.

“In particular, he played a pivotal role in helping to turn the IMF Annual Meeting in Tokyo into a very successful gathering of economists and financial experts, highly valued by the membership. We look forward to welcoming Mitsuhiro back to the Fund,” she added.

The Bretton Woods institution continues to play a critical role as the “world’s largest cheque book” providing financing for many countries and promoting international financial stability and monetary cooperation. It also seeks to facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world.

By Emmanuel Iruobe