Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), has  announced that Pierre‑Olivier Gourinchas will return to academia at the University of California, Berkeley, effective July 1, 2026. 

 Gourinchas joined the Fund in 2022 as Economic Counsellor and Director of the IMF’s Research Department (RES).

“Pierre‑Olivier has provided exceptional intellectual leadership at a time of extraordinary global uncertainty,” said Ms. Georgieva. “From the aftermath of the pandemic and the surge in global inflation to heightened geopolitical tensions and growing fragmentation, he ensured that the Fund’s analytical work remained rigorous and highly relevant for our members. I am deeply grateful for his outstanding service, dedication, and commitment to our membership.

Under Gourinchas’s leadership, the Research Department demonstrated tremendous agility, delivering policy‑relevant analysis during periods of heightened uncertainty. The department consistently produced high‑quality flagship publications, including the World Economic Outlook and the External Sector Report, strengthening the Fund’s capacity to assess global spillovers, risks, and policy trade‑offs in a rapidly changing global environment.

 Gourinchas helped advance the frontier of our analytical work in areas such as geo‑economic fragmentation, the drivers of global inflation, and the determinants of global imbalances. He also fostered intellectual innovation to strengthen the Global Financial Safety Net and enhance our toolkit through initiatives such as the AI Preparedness Index, the Structural Reforms Impact Tool, RES DataHub and the development of the next generation of macroeconomic models. Most recently, his leadership in developing alternative scenarios on the economic impact of the war in the Middle East was instrumental in informing policy discussions during the recent Spring Meetings and particularly valued by our members.

A trusted advisor, Gourinchas contributed extensively to high‑profile surveillance and program work, helping ensure that Fund advice remained both analytically robust and operationally relevant. Beyond his analytical contributions, Mr. Gourinchas fostered a collaborative, inclusive, and supportive work environment. He was a strong champion of staff development, encouraged intellectual curiosity, and advanced talent management initiatives.

“I am profoundly grateful to Pierre‑Olivier for his remarkable service to the Fund and for the example he has set as a leader and colleague,” said Ms. Georgieva. “We wish him every success as he returns to the University of California, Berkeley.”