## Ceyla Pazarbasioglu

## Source details

**Canonical URL:** [Ceyla Pazarbasioglu](https://www.imf.org/en/about/senior-officials/bios/ceyla-pazarbasioglu)

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## Bibliographic details
- Published: January 8, 2025

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### Current role and responsibilities
- Director of the Strategy, Policy, and Review Department (SPR) of the IMF, a position held since 2020.
- Leads the IMF’s strategic direction and the design and implementation of its policies and lending activities across all IMF member countries.
- Oversees the IMF’s interactions with international bodies, including the G7, G20, and United Nations.
- Plays a key role in Fund engagement with the Board of Governors via the International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC) and in collaboration with the World Bank Group (WBG).

### Major actions and initiatives led
- Led the IMF’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including scaled up emergency financing.
- Led negotiations on the historic $650 billion 2021 general allocation of Special Drawing Rights.
- Created the IMF’s Food Shock Window in response to the 2022 food price shock.
- Instrumental in launching initiatives to support countries with sovereign debt challenges:
  - Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI) for the IMF.
  - G-20 Common Framework for Debt Treatment for low-income countries facing unsustainable debt levels.
  - Global Sovereign Debt Roundtable (GSDR) with the World Bank and the G-20 for countries outside of the Common Framework.
- Played a key role in establishing the Resilience and Sustainability Trust—the first IMF facility providing long-term affordable financing for climate and pandemic challenges.

### Prior positions and experience
- World Bank Group (WBG) from 2015–2020:
  - Vice President for Equitable Growth, Finance, and Institutions.
  - Oversaw a portfolio of nearly $30 billion of operational and policy work and advisory engagements across WBG Global Practices of Finance, Competitiveness, and Innovation; Macroeconomics, Trade, and Investment; Governance; and Poverty and Equity.
  - Management responsibility for more than 2,200 staff in 138 countries, including 30 fragile and conflict-affected states.
- Previous tenures at the IMF: 1992–1998 and 2003–2015:
  - Deputy Director in the Monetary and Capital Markets Department, in charge of work on financial sector regulation and supervision and crisis management.
  - Assistant Director in the European Department and mission chief for Ukraine.
  - Led Emerging Markets chapters of the Global Financial Stability Report and worked on financial sector policies and restructuring in Argentina, Russia, and Uruguay.
  - Focused on structural reforms after crises in the Nordic countries, Emerging Europe, Latin America, Türkiye, Korea, and Thailand (prior to 1998).
- Government of Türkiye (2001):
  - Joined the crisis management team to reform the pension system, establish the inflation targeting regime, and implement the “voluntary” debt swap.
  - Appointed Vice President of the Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency of Türkiye; worked with the Central Bank, the Treasury, banking sector representatives, and the government to contain and resolve the crisis and establish a regulatory and supervisory authority.
- ABN AMRO Investment Bank, London (1998–2001):
  - Chief Economist of Emerging European Markets.

### Education, certifications, and publications
- Holds a doctorate in economics and finance from Georgetown University.
- Studied at Princeton University (visiting scholar).
- Certified Securities and Financial Derivates Representative (from the U.K.).
- Chartered Financial Analyst Charterholder.
- Published widely on financial crises; banking and corporate sector restructuring; regulatory reforms; macro-financial analysis; and debt management.

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## References

- [IMF Senior Officials](https://www.imf.org/en/About/senior-officials)

_Source: https://www.imf.org/en/about/senior-officials/bios/ceyla-pazarbasioglu_