‘Breaking the trend’: Gita Gopinath, the only woman to feature on wall of former IMF Chief Economists

Gita Gopinath is no stranger to shattering glass ceilings. The first woman to serve as chief economist of the International Monetary Fund, and also its first deputy managing director, Gopinath has another reason to be proud today. Her official portrait has made it to the wall of former Chief Economists of the IMF. The sole woman in a sea of men, Gopinath’s picture “breaks the trend,” – as she herself put it.

“Breaking the trend… I joined the wall of former Chief Economists of the IMF,” wrote Gita Gopinath alongside two photos of the wall in question, on which hang a series of 11 portraits of former chief economists of the IMF. Gopinath’s picture is the 11th and last in line. She also shared a photo which shows her posing in front of the wall, pointing at her portrait.

Breaking the trend …I joined the wall of former Chief Economists of the IMF pic.twitter.com/kPay44tIfK

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— Gita Gopinath (@GitaGopinath) July 6, 2022

Gita Gopinath, 50, served as chief economist of the International Monetary Fund between 2019 and 2022. She was succeeded by Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas. She currently serves as the Deputy Managing Director of the IMF, a position she has held since January 2022. “In that role she oversees the work of staff, represents the Fund at multilateral forums, maintains high-level contacts with member governments and Board members, the media, and other institutions, leads the Fund’s work on surveillance and related policies, and oversees research and flagship publications,” says the IMF on its website.

Born in Kolkata, Gopinath received her BA from Delhi’s Lady Shri Ram College and MA from Delhi School of Economics. She earned her PhD in economics from the prestigious Princeton University.