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.
Research Team
Thi Thanh Hao Dau, Economist
Dr. Thi Thanh Hao Dau, a Vietnamese national, is an Economist at the IMF Shanghai Center. She holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Seoul National University. Her research focuses on international economics, firm dynamics, industrial policy, and development economics. Her work uses micro-level data and quantitative general equilibrium models to examine how trade, foreign investment, and policy affect firms, households, and aggregate economic outcomes. Before beginning her graduate studies, she completed an internship at Vietnam’s Ministry of Planning and Investment. Dr. Dau also holds a Master’s degree in International Commerce from Seoul National University and a Bachelor’s degree from the National Economics University, Vietnam.
Justin Raymond Eloriaga, Economist
Justin S. Eloriaga is a Filipino national who joined the IMF Shanghai Center as an Economist in July 2026. Prior to joining the IMF, he served as a Central Bank Associate at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, and was a Visiting Instructor at Emory University and an Assistant Professorial Lecturer at De La Salle University. Mr. Eloriaga's research interests lie in macroeconomics, with a particular focus on Bayesian time series econometrics and monetary economics. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Emory University, completed under the J. William Fulbright Scholarship, and an M.A. in Economics, also from Emory University. He earned his M.Sc. in Economics and B.Sc. in Applied Economics, summa cum laude, from De La Salle University.
Qing Peng, Economist
Qing Peng, a Chinese national, joined the IMF Shanghai Center as an Economist in June 2026. Her research lies at the intersection of macro-finance and empirical asset pricing, with a particular focus on monetary policy, sovereign bond markets, government policy events, and Chinese financial markets. Her recent work examines the behavior of U.S. Treasury yields around FOMC meetings, the transmission of policy-related uncertainty to asset prices, and the effects of top government meetings on Chinese financial markets. Her research has appeared in academic journals and has been presented at major international conferences, including those organized by the NBER, CICF, SFS, ABFER, and AFA. During her doctoral studies, she was a visiting PhD student at MIT Sloan School of Management. She holds a PhD in finance from the Shanghai Advanced Institute of Finance at Shanghai Jiao Tong University and undergraduate degrees in finance from the Central South University.
Xinyi Wang, Economist
Xinyi Wang, a Chinese national, joined the IMF Shanghai Center as an Economist in June 2026. Her research interests include fintech, financial markets, household finance, green finance, and cryptocurrencies. While pursuing her Ph.D. in Finance at Peking University, she served as a Technical Advisor at the Bank for International Settlements, a Doctoral Intern at the Hong Kong Institute for Monetary and Financial Research, an Economic Analyst at the IMF Resident Representative Office in China, and a Short-Term Temporary at the World Bank. She was also a Visiting Scholar in the Finance Department at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Her research received the Best Paper Award at the China Financial Research Conference. She holds a Ph.D. in Finance, a B.S. in Data Science, and a B.A. in Economics from Peking University.
Ziqiao Zhang, Economist
Ziqiao Zhang is a Chinese national and an Economist at the IMF Shanghai Center, which he joined in July 2026. His research interests include macro-finance, international macroeconomics, household finance, and the Chinese economy. His individual research has studied housing markets, capital income taxation, global capital flows, and the macroeconomic effects of financial intermediation and government policy. During his doctoral studies, he also interned in the IMF’s Western Hemisphere Department. He holds a PhD in Economics from Princeton University and a BA from Northwestern University.
Xinrui Zhou, Economist
Xinrui Zhou, a Chinese national, joined the IMF Shanghai Center as an Economist in July 2026. Her research interests are at the intersection of macroeconomics and international trade. She studies inflation dynamics, global supply chain, demographic change and household consumption. Prior to joining the Shanghai Center, Dr. Zhou interned in the IMF’s Asia and Pacific Department, where she contributed to work on the Regional Economic Outlook. Dr. Zhou holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Michigan, as well as a Master’s degree and a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Renmin University of China.
Zequin Hou, Economist
Zeqin Hou joined the IMF Shanghai Center as a Research Analyst in June 2026. His work focuses on economic research and policy issues affecting emerging market and middle-income economies, particularly in the areas of international trade, trade facilitation, and applied econometrics. Prior to joining the IMF, Mr. Hou worked at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in Geneva as a consultant in the Division for Africa, Least Developed Countries and Special Programmes. His work focused on trade facilitation, technical assistance to least developed countries, and rules of origin, including engagement with WTO-related processes and member-country stakeholders. Mr. Hou holds a B.A. (summa cum laude) in Economics and a B.A. in History from the College of William & Mary, and an M.Phil. in Economic and Social History from the University of Oxford (Worcester College). His graduate research examined taxation and monetary policy in Ming China.
Jiarui Li, Research Analyst
Ms. Jiarui Li, a Chinese national, joined the IMF Shanghai Center as a Research Analyst in June 2026. Before joining the IMF, she worked as a Research and Data Assistant in the Economics Department of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), where she supported policy-oriented economic research through applied quantitative and data analysis. Her work included data acquisition and management, econometric and geospatial analysis, and the preparation of analytical materials and briefing notes for senior audiences. She also contributed to AIIB’s flagship economic publications and supported a range of empirical research projects. Ms. Li holds a Master of Arts in Economics from the University of Toronto and a Bachelor of Arts in Applied Economics from Queen’s University.
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.
Feng Qiu, Administrative Coordinator
Feng ('Gloria') Qiu, a Chinese national, joined the IMF Shanghai Center as an Administrative Coordinator in July 2026. Prior to joining the IMF, she worked as a Management Trainee at the Bank of Communications from 2024 to 2026, including a rotation in the Investment Banking Department, where she supported project coordination, training programs, and administrative operations. She previously interned at the International Maritime Organization and also completed professional training through the International Training Centre of the International Labour Organization (ITCILO) in Turin and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), strengthening her knowledge of international organizations and global governance. Ms. Qiu holds a Master of Science in International Social and Public Policy from the London School of Economics and Political Science and Fudan University, and a Bachelor of Management in Public Affairs Management from Zhejiang University.
Mingrui Song, Administrative Coordinator
Mingrui ('Isabel') Song, a Chinese national, joined the IMF Shanghai Center as Administrative Coordinator in July 2026. She brings three years of experience supporting the New Development Bank (NDB), where her portfolio included high-level visit support, coordination of diplomatic immunities and privileges, and liaison with government authorities, foreign missions, and international institutions. She also contributed to the successful delivery of the Bank's Annual Meetings across member countries. Ms. Song holds a Master's degree in Translation and Interpretation and a Bachelor's degree in Portuguese Language from Beijing Language and Culture University.
Zhenghong ('Frankie') Wu , Administrative Coordinator
Zhenghong (“Frankie”) Wu joined the IMF Shanghai Center as an Administrative Coordinator in January 2026. She brings more than 12 years of experience in administrative operations, office management, procurement, vendor management, facilities coordination, and IT support across multinational organizations in Europe and North America. Ms. Wu holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology. She is a certified Senior Administrative Engineer and holds professional qualifications in accounting, statistics, psychological counseling, fire safety operations, and travel services. Her multidisciplinary background reflects a strong commitment to operational excellence, service delivery, and continuous professional development.
