Our staff
Management
Johannes Wiegand , Director
Johannes Wiegand, a German national, has been the Director of the IMF Shanghai Center since May 2025. An IMF economist for more than 25 years, Dr. Wiegand previously led the IMF’s Regional Studies Division for Asia and the Pacific, and the Climate and Development Policy Division in the Strategy, Policy and Review Department. He also held senior positions in the IMF’s Research and European Departments. Dr. Wiegand has published on a wide range of topics, including structural transformation and growth in Asia and the Pacific, European monetary and economic history, currency regimes, dollarization, and global climate change mitigation policies. Prior to joining the IMF, he taught at the London School of Economics and wrote commentaries for the Financial Times. He holds a PhD in economics from University College London and undergraduate degrees in economics and philosophy from the University of Munich.
Cao Li , Deputy Director
Ms. Li Cao, a Chinese national, has served as Deputy Director of the IMF Shanghai Center since September 2025. Over her 28-year career, she has held senior positions including Deputy Director General at the People’s Bank of China, Vice President of the Boao Forum for Asia Academy, Accompanying Person to the BIS Board Director, and Advisor to the Executive Director for China at the IMF. Ms. Li Cao has undertaken policy studies and practices in a wide range of areas such as global financial crisis bailouts, international financial standard setting, development finance, as well as digital and green sustainable development. She has led teams in producing flagship reports such as the Asian Economic Outlook and integration. Ms. Li Cao holds a Master’s degree in International Finance from the Tsinghua-PBC School of Finance at Tsinghua University and a Bachelor’s degree from Renmin University of China.
Administration
Xiaona Zhou , Office Manager
Ms. Xiaona Zhou, a Chinese national, joined the IMF Shanghai Center as Office Manager in January 2026. She previously worked for over ten years at the IMF Headquarters in Washington D.C., including two years in the Institute for Capacity Development (ICD), where she supported capacity development–related initiatives and donor funded programs. She also spent eight years in the Human Resources Department, where she managed IMF recruitment programs. In this role, she accumulated broad human resources experience, including end to end recruitment processes, global talent attraction, engagement with IMF member countries, and cross departmental stakeholder coordination. Ms. Zhou holds a Master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University and a Bachelor’s degree from George Washington University.
Qingyang Luo , Administrative Coordinator
Qingyang Luo, a Chinese national, has been an administrative coordinator at the IMF Shanghai Center since November 2025. She worked in several United Nations offices on matters related to international trade and development. From 2022 to 2025, she supported SME export training, contributed to market-access research, and helped coordinate major international trade fairs at the United Nations International Trade Centre. Previously, she assisted a member of International Law Commission with legal research and meeting documentation and supported library and research services at the United Nations Office at Geneva. Ms. Luo holds a master’s degree in international law from the Graduate Institute Geneva and a bachelor’s degree in law from Shanghai Jiao Tong University.
Zhenghong ('Frankie') Wu , Administrative Coordinator
Zhenghong ('Frankie') Wu, a Chinese national, joined the IMF Shanghai Center as administrative coordinator in January 2026. Previously, Ms. Wu supervised for more than 12 years administrative operations in European and North American companies, and also worked in government procurement, customer service supervision, and IT systems support. Ms. Wu holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, and in addition certificates in psychological counseling, intermediate firefighting, and administrative management.
