Carmen Reinhart, a former IMF executive, is a well-known author and an economist. Bloomberg
Carmen Reinhart, a former IMF executive, is a well-known author and an economist. Bloomberg
Carmen Reinhart, a former IMF executive, is a well-known author and an economist. Bloomberg
Carmen Reinhart, a former IMF executive, is a well-known author and an economist. Bloomberg

World Bank appoints financial crises expert Carmen Reinhart as chief economist and VP


Deena Kamel
  • English
  • Arabic

The World Bank appointed financial crisis expert Carmen Reinhart as its new vice president and chief economist, leaning on the expertise of the former International Monetary Fund executive as the Covid-19 pandemic plunges the global economy into the deepest recession since the Great Depression.

The former Bear Stearns chief economist will begin her role at the World Bank on June 15, the Washington-based lender said in a statement on May 20.

"Carmen has dedicated her career to understanding and surmounting financial crises in both advanced and developing economies in order to achieve growth and higher living standards," David Malpass, the World Bank's president, said. "Her thought leadership during this unprecedented period will be invaluable to the Bank Group and our clients.”

Ms Reinhart will join the World Bank at a time when the organisation estimates that up to 60 million people will be pushed into extreme poverty while a deep recession this year will shrink the global economy by 5 per cent, Mr Malpass remarked in a May 19 media call. The lender has deployed emergency assistance to 100 countries - or 70 per cent of the world's population - to fight the impact of Covid-19. The move is part of its pledge to provide $160 billion (Dh587.6bn) in grants and financial support over a 15-month period to help developing countries respond to the health, social and economic impacts of Covid-19 and the economic shutdown in advanced countries.

IMF managing director Kristalina Georgieva called Ms Reinhart a "great choice, especially at this time of crisis - something Carmen knows a lot about", in a tweet.

The fund's chief economist Gita Gopinath tweeted her congratulations and called Ms Reinhart an "extraordinary economist with deep expertise in crises, debt, capital flows, from a current and historical perspective".

Ms Reinhart is co-author with Harvard professor Kenneth Rogoff of the award-winning 2009 book This Time is Different: Eight Centuries of Recurring Financial Folly, which has been translated into 20 languages.

The book has been widely praised, with Allianz economic adviser Mohamed El-Erian calling it a "must-read for anyone looking to understand past and present crises, as well as navigate those of tomorrow".

Ms Reinhart, who holds two master's degrees and a doctorate from Columbia University, has been the Minos A Zombanakis Professor of the International Financial System at Harvard Kennedy School since July 2012.

"Carmen Reinhart has reshaped the way that both scholars and practitioners think about the international financial system,” said Kennedy School Dean Douglas Elmendorf, an economist and former director of the US Congressional Budget Office. "She will make a powerful contribution to the World Bank’s ability to help people, communities, and countries that are struggling with the pandemic and its myriad consequences.”

Ms Reinhart's areas of expertise are international capital flows, finance, and macroeconomics, and she has published work focusing extensively on economies in Asia and Latin America, banking and sovereign debt crises, currency crashes, and contagion, according to the World Bank.

She was senior policy adviser and deputy director at the IMF and vice president and chief economist of the investment bank Bear Stearns. She currently serves on the advisory panel of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and was a member of the Congressional Budget Office Panel of Economic Advisors.

Ms Reinhart has been listed among Bloomberg Markets Most Influential 50 in Finance, Foreign Policy’s Top 100 Global Thinkers, and Thomson Reuters' The World's Most Influential Scientific Minds.

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Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment

Director: M. Night Shyamalan

Rating: 5/5

How to join and use Abu Dhabi’s public libraries

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Allison (Liverpool)

Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool)

Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)

Aymeric Laporte (Manchester City)

Andrew Robertson (Liverpool)

Paul Pogba (Manchester United)

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Bernardo Silva (Manchester City)

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Sergio Aguero (Manchester City)

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  • In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
  • Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
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What: 11th edition of the Mubadala World Tennis Championship

When: December 27-29, 2018

Confirmed: men: Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Kevin Anderson, Dominic Thiem, Hyeon Chung, Karen Khachanov; women: Venus Williams

Tickets: www.ticketmaster.ae, Virgin megastores or call 800 86 823

JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH

Directed by: Shaka King

Starring: Daniel Kaluuya, Lakeith Stanfield, Jesse Plemons

Four stars

Company Profile

Company name: NutriCal

Started: 2019

Founder: Soniya Ashar

Based: Dubai

Industry: Food Technology

Initial investment: Self-funded undisclosed amount

Future plan: Looking to raise fresh capital and expand in Saudi Arabia

Total Clients: Over 50

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6.30pm UAE 1000 Guineas Trial Conditions (TB) US$100,000 (Dirt) 1,400m

Winner Final Song, Christophe Soumillon (jockey), Saeed bin Suroor (trainer).

7.05pm Handicap (TB) $135,000 (Turf) 1,000m

Winner Almanaara, Dane O’Neill, Doug Watson.

7.40pm Handicap (TB) $175,000 (D) 1,900m

Winner Grand Argentier, Brett Doyle, Doug Watson.

8.15pm Meydan Challenge Listed Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 1,400m

Winner Major Partnership, Patrick Cosgrave, Saeed bin Suroor.

8.50pm Dubai Stakes Group 3 (TB) $200,000 (D) 1,200m

Winner Gladiator King, Mickael Barzalona, Satish Seemar.

9.25pm Dubai Racing Club Classic Listed Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 2,410m

Winner Universal Order, Richard Mullen, David Simcock.

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Eoin Morgan (capt), Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler (wkt), Tom Curran, Liam Dawson, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, James Vince, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood

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Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk 

Stars:  Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun

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Starring Kangana Ranaut, Richa Chadha, Jassie Gill, Yagya Bhasin, Neena Gupta

Rating: 3.5/5

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