Gita Gopinath, the First Deputy Managing Director (FDMD) of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), will be stepping down from her role in August 2025 to return to academia at Harvard University, the IMF announced.  

Gopinath, a trailblazer in international economics, will be taking on the role of the inaugural Gregory and Ania Coffey Professor of Economics at Harvard.

The IMF’s Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva confirmed Gopinath’s departure and said a successor will be named “in due course.”

Gopinath first joined the IMF in 2019 as Chief Economist, becoming the first woman to hold the position. Her leadership during a time of extraordinary global economic upheaval, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting macroeconomic disruptions, was widely recognised.

In January 2022, she was promoted to First Deputy Managing Director, the Fund’s No. 2 position.

In a post on X, Gopinath reflected on her nearly seven-year tenure at the Fund and expressed gratitude for the opportunity to serve at one of the world’s foremost financial institutions.

“After nearly 7 amazing years at the IMF, I have decided to return to my academic roots. On September 1, 2025, I will rejoin @HarvardEcon as the inaugural Gregory and Ania Coffey Professor of Economics. I am truly grateful for my time at @IMFnews, first as Chief Economist and then as First Deputy Managing Director,” she wrote.

“I have had the privilege of working closely with the IMF’s brilliant and committed staff, colleagues in management, the Executive Board, and country authorities. I am especially thankful to @KGeorgieva and her predecessor, @Lagarde, for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to serve the IMF’s membership during a period of unprecedented challenges. I now return to my roots in academia, where I look forward to continuing to push the research frontier in international finance and macroeconomics to address global challenges, and to training the next generation of economists.”

Before joining the IMF, she served as the John Zwaanstra Professor of International Studies and Economics at Harvard University.

Under her leadership, the IMF played a key role in shaping the global economic response to crises, including COVID-19, supply chain shocks, debt distress in developing countries, and climate finance challenges.

Her successor at the IMF is yet to be announced.