Catriona Purfield

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Catriona Purfield

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Bibliographic details

• Published: September 16, 2025

Current position

• The International Monetary Fund (IMF) appointed Catriona Purfield Director of the Institute for Capacity Development, effective September 1, 2025.

Career history and roles at the IMF and beyond

• Director, Human Resources Department (position held prior to Institute appointment).
• Deputy Director, Africa Department:
  • Oversaw production of the Regional Economic Update for Sub Saharan Africa.
  • Oversaw the Fund’s program and surveillance engagements in Ghana, Benin, Burkina Faso, and Togo.
• Assistant Director, Middle East and Central Asia Department, between 2016 and 2019:
  • Led the department’s policy and analytical work on inclusive growth.
  • Led the IMF’s surveillance missions to Iran.
• World Bank, based in South Africa, between 2013 and 2016:
  • Program Lead on Equitable Growth, Finance and Institutions for Southern Africa.
• Other IMF experience since joining the Fund in 1998:
  • Worked in the European, Asia Pacific and Fiscal Affairs Departments.

Research interests and publications

• Research interests and publications cover:
  • Macroeconomics
  • Economic growth
  • Inequality
  • Fiscal policy
  • Natural resource management
  • Competition policy
  • Unemployment and labor market issues

Education and nationality

• A national of Ireland.
• Degrees:
  • B.A. (Hons) in Economics and Geography, Trinity College Dublin.
  • PhD in Economics, Trinity College Dublin.
• Graduate of the Kiel Institute of World Economics Graduate Program on International Macroeconomics.

Administrative details

• The IMF biography was last updated September 16, 2025.

References

• IMF Senior Officials