Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), has announced her intention to appoint Christian Mumssen as Director of the Strategy, Policy, and Review Department (SPR). Mumssen will take on his new responsibilities starting November 3, 2025, succeeding Ceyla Pazarbasioglu.
Mumssen, who is from Germany, has worked at the IMF since 1999 and has almost thirty years of experience in international financial institutions. In his current role as Deputy Director of SPR, he oversees policy areas such as the IMF’s precautionary and concessional lending facilities, external sector analysis and policies, and the Global Financial Safety Net.
He has also held several other positions at the IMF, including Chief of Staff in the Office of the Managing Director, Deputy Director of the Finance Department, Director of the IMF Europe Office in Brussels/Paris, and Senior Resident Representative to the European Union. As Division Chief in SPR, he led a reform of the IMF’s concessional lending facilities and managed strategy and review for low-income countries. Mumssen has also served as mission chief and desk economist for program and surveillance cases in Africa, Europe, and the Middle East. Before joining the IMF, he was Principal Economist at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
Georgieva stated: “Christian’s deep institutional knowledge, strategic acumen, creativity, and sound judgment have helped us navigate many complex challenges over the past years. I am delighted that he will now bring these qualities to lead SPR. At a time of when the world economy is in flux and many of our members face significant economic challenges, SPR’s central role in guiding the institution is more important than ever. I am confident that, under Christian’s leadership, the department will continue to deliver world-class value to our institution and to our membership.”
Mumssen studied economics at the University of Freiburg and the University of Wisconsin. He holds a Masters in Economics from the London School of Economics (LSE) and a Doctorate in Economics from the University of Oxford.