IMF Taps Anthropic Adviser Tenreyro as Chief Economist
The IMF has appointed Silvana Tenreyro as its new chief economist, tasking the former Bank of England policymaker with steering global economic projections through a period of artificial intelligence disruption and renewed inflationary pressures.
The International Monetary Fund said Tuesday it has named Silvana Tenreyro as its new chief economist and head of research. The San Miguel de Tucumán-born economist will assume the role on August 10, succeeding Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas, who recently returned to academia.
Tenreyro takes charge of the institution’s global economic projections at a volatile moment for markets. The world economy is currently navigating a new wave of inflation triggered by conflict in the Middle East. Simultaneously, investors and corporations are grappling with the economic implications of a massive rush to invest in and deploy artificial intelligence technologies.
Her specific expertise in these emerging areas likely influenced her selection. Last year, Tenreyro was named to Anthropic’s Economic Advisory Council, a body tasked with analyzing AI's impact on the labour market and the broader economy. This focus on technological disruption will be crucial as the IMF attempts to forecast productivity gains and labor shifts for its member nations.
Beyond her focus on AI, Tenreyro brings deep conventional monetary policy experience to the Fund. She served as an external member of the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee from 2017 to 2023, a period that covered the economic shocks of Brexit and the pandemic. She also previously served as the president of the European Economic Association.
An Argentine, British, and Italian national, Tenreyro currently serves on the IMF Managing Director’s External Advisory Group. She holds a PhD from Harvard University and an undergraduate degree in economics from the National University of Tucumán. She is currently a professor at the London School of Economics.
IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva emphasized the strategic necessity of the appointment. “At a time of profound transformation and heightened uncertainty in the global economy, Silvana’s mix of intellectual leadership and policy experience will help ensure that the Fund’s analytical work and multilateral surveillance and policy advice will remain at the cutting edge in support of our membership,” Georgieva said in a statement.
Tenreyro will be the second woman to lead the IMF’s research department, following Gita Gopinath. The tenure for the position has varied in recent years, ranging from three years for both Gopinath and Gourinchas, up to seven years for Olivier Blanchard, who held the role from 2008 to 2015.
