Mr. Clarke assumed the role of Deputy Managing Director at the IMF on October 31, 2024.

Before joining the IMF, Mr. Clarke served as Jamaica’s Minister of Finance and the Public Service, and a Member of Parliament, since March 2018. Prior to this, he served as Ambassador of Economic Affairs from 2016. During this period, he stewarded his country’s economy to a stronger and more sustainable position. He spearheaded ambitious national reforms, including central bank independence, creation of an independent fiscal commission, as well as other tax policy, public body governance, public procurement, public sector compensation, and public investment management reforms.

Mr. Clarke holds a PhD in Numerical Analysis from Oxford University where he was a Rhodes Scholar, and a Master of Science Degree in Applied Statistics, also from Oxford, while he was a Commonwealth Scholar. He also holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mathematics and Computer Science from the University of the West Indies where he was a Jamaica Independence Scholar.

Full bio

Masood Ahmed is the president emeritus of the Center for Global Development. He joined the Center in January 2017, capping a 35-year career driving economic development policy initiatives relating to debt, aid effectiveness, trade, and global economic prospects at major international institutions including the IMF, World Bank, and DFID.

Ahmed joined CGD from the IMF, where he served for eight years as director, Middle East and Central Asia Department, earning praise from Managing Director Christine Lagarde as a “visionary leader.” In that role, he oversaw the Fund's operations in 32 countries, and managed relationships with key national and regional policy makers and stakeholders.

Born and raised in Pakistan, Ahmed moved to London in 1971 to study at the LSE where he obtained a BSc Honors as well as an MSc Econ with distinction.

Ahmed is a leading expert on Middle East economics, having served on the Advisory Board of the LSE Middle East Center, as well as on the World Economic Forum's Global Agenda Council on the Middle East and North Africa.

H.E. Carlos Fernández Valdovinos, Minister of Economy and Finance, Paraguay Carlos Fernández Valdovinos has been Paraguay’s Minister of Economy and Finance since 2023. Previously, he was governor of the Central Bank of Paraguay between 2013 and 2018. During his tenure, he received several international awards and recognitions, including Central Bank Governor of the Year 2017 and 2018 by Central Banking Magazine and Central Banker of the Year, Americas 2017 by the Banker Magazine, a publication of the Financial Times. He also served as an economist at the World Bank from 2004 to 2006 and the International Monetary Fund from 2006 to 2013. He earned his bachelor’s degree in economics from Universidad Federal do Paraná, Brazil in 1990, a Master of Science degree in economic policy from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign in 1994, and a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Chicago in 1999. Fernández Valdovinos has taught at the Universidad Nacional de Asunción, Universidad Católica Nuestra Señora de la Asunción, University of Chicago, Georgetown University, and Universidad de San Andres, Argentina. He has published extensively in collective volumes and academic journals, and has co-authored or edited several books and monographs on the Paraguayan economy.

Kyriakos Pierrakakis serves as Minister of Economy and Finance of the Hellenic Republic in Prime Minister Mitsotakis' Cabinet since March 2025, and is a Member of Parliament. Previously, he was Minister of Education, Religious Affairs, and Sports (2023-2025), where he initiated a series of reforms of Greece’s education system, most notably establishing a framework for private universities to formally operate in Greece for the first time and banning mobile phones in classrooms. As Minister of Digital Governance (2019-2023), he led Greece’s digital transformation, with the creation of the government portal gov.gr being the most notable initiative and one of the most popular reforms initiated in Greece. He chaired the OECD's Global Strategy Group since 2021, a position he was re-appointed to in 2024.

Pierrakakis holds degrees from MIT (M.S. Technology and Policy), Harvard Kennedy School (Master in Public Policy), and Athens University of Economics and Business (B.S. Computer Science). Born in Athens in 1983, he is married with three children and speaks English and French.

Romuald Wadagni is the Senior Minister in charge of Economy and Finance of Benin, appointed in 2016 and reappointed in 2021. He is a certified public accountant in both France and the United States and holds a master’s degree in finance with additional training in private equity and venture capital. Before joining the government, he had a successful international career at Deloitte, serving in France, the United States, and across Africa, where he rose to Managing Director and Partner. As Minister, he has led a wide-ranging reform agenda focused on transparency, innovation, and resilience. His work has strengthened public financial management, improved the business environment, and increased investor confidence in Benin. He is credited with positioning Benin as a trusted partner for both public and private international stakeholders. Beyond Benin, Wadagni has played a key role in regional economic integration. As Chair of the WAEMU Council of Finance Ministers, he led negotiations with France that resulted in the historic 2019 agreement to reform the CFA franc and transition toward a new regional currency.