Ilan Goldfajn
Ilan Goldfajn is a Brazilian economist of Israeli origin who has served as President of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) since December 2022.[1] Born in Haifa, Israel, and raised in Rio de Janeiro, he holds degrees in economics from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and a master's from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro.[2] Goldfajn previously served as Governor of the Central Bank of Brazil from June 2016 to February 2019, during which he implemented policies to tame inflation in Latin America's largest economy, earning recognition as Central Banker of the Year in 2017 by The Banker magazine and Best Central Banker in 2018 by Global Finance.[3][2] His tenure focused on monetary stability amid political turbulence, contributing to a decline in Brazil's inflation rate from over 10% to within target bands.[4] Earlier, he worked as an economist at the International Monetary Fund (1996–1999) and later as Director of its Western Hemisphere Department in 2022, overseeing support for regional economies during economic recoveries post-pandemic.[5] In the private sector, Goldfajn was Chief Economist at Itaú Unibanco and held leadership roles at Credit Suisse Brazil and Ciano Investimentos.[5] As IDB President, the first Brazilian in the role, he leads efforts to enhance efficiency and sustainable development financing in Latin America and the Caribbean amid institutional challenges.[6][7]