The IMF Regional Office and its Staff

Group photo of staff in The Office for Central Europe and the Baltics From left to right: Christoph Rosenberg, Barbara Kostrzewa, Agata Kariozen, Wieslaw Glocer, Marcel Tirpak, and Robert Sierhej

The IMF Regional Office (RO) in Warsaw was established in February 2005, succeeding the Resident Representative office for Poland. Its primary task is to enhance the IMF's ability to carry out surveillance in Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and the three Baltic countries, particularly in connection with framing and executing plans for Euro adoption

To this end, the RO:

  • complements the work of headquarter-based mission teams by focusing on enlargement and Euro adoption issues across all new member states;
  • monitors and analyzes economic developments, identifies policy issues, and informs the IMF's staff at headquarters;
  • maintains contacts with governments, civil society and other relevant institutions (such as the European Commission and the ECB);
  • provides information to the media and other interested groups about the IMF's economic analysis and policy advice in the region.

Christoph Rosenberg is the IMF's senior regional representative and heads the RO since its inception in 2005. He is a national of Germany whose earlier assignments at the IMF included positions in the Policy Development and Review Department (working on emerging market vulnerability issues) and on the country desks for a number of transition economies in Europe and Central Asia. CV; (email: crosenberg@imf.org)

Robert Sierhej is a senior economist in the RO, having joined the former resident representative office in Poland in 1993. He focuses on fiscal issues and follows closely developments in Poland and the Baltics. CV; (e-mail: rsierhej@imf.org)

Marcel Tirpak joined the RO as an economist in April 2006, after previous positions at the National Bank of Slovakia and the Slovak Ministry of Finance. At the RO, he follows the Czech Republic and Slovakia, as well as monetary issues. CV; (e-mail: mtirpak@imf.org)

Agata Kariozen has been working as a research assistant in the RO since May 2005. She maintains the office's data base as well as this website. (e-mail: akariozen@imf.org)

Barbara Kostrzewa is the office manager of the RO. She joined the former resident representative office for Poland in 1995. (e-mail: bkostrzewa@imf.org)

Wieslaw Glocer has been working for the IMF in Poland since 1993 as a driver, procurement officer and man for everything. (e-mail: wglocer@imf.org)