IMF appoints Singaporean to CIO role

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has appointed Shirin Hamid as its new CIO after an "internationally competitive" selection process. The Singaporean national will be tasked driving the global organisation's efforts to modernise the digital workplace along with "other capital improvements".

Slated to assume her new role from January 4 next year, which also would see her as director of the IT department, Hamid would succeed Ed Anderson who left IMF in June this year at the end of his term. 

The Singaporean was previously CIO and director general at the Asian Development Bank, where she had been since 2016, during which she drove the organisation's IT initiatives including in big data and cybersecurity, as well as modernised its policies and operations. Her career also included an 11-year stint with the United Nations Development Program, where she was CTO and director overseeing the organisation's IT functions and operations. 

IMF's managing director Kristalina Georgieva said: "Her strong strategic vision is focused on using technology to enable organisations to succeed in their work--an invaluable strength that will help the Fund take advantage of the latest technological advancements to support its work in the service of its membership.

"Shirin will be joining the Fund at this critical time when it is seeking to modernise the digital workplace, along with other capital improvements. Her diverse experience, strategic vision, and considerable talent for leading large, culturally diverse teams are assets that will help the Fund achieve its modernisation goals," Georgieva said. 

Hamid earned a Master's degree in Business Systems Analysis and Design from City University of London, in addition to her Bachelor's degree in Computer Science at Coventry University in England.

She also held various roles in the private sector, including acting general manager for IT at Keppel Group and Keppel Offshore & Marine in Singapore, and senior consultant at Deloitte's Singapore and Boston outfits. 

Established in 1944, IMF currently has 190 member countries and staff from 150 nations. It describes its primary objective as ensuring the stability of the international monetary system, encompassing exchange rates and international payments that enable transactions between global markets and citizens.

Apart from "surveillance", which it describes as its core responsibility involving the monitoring the economic and financial policies of its member countries, IMF also provides technical assistance and training to governments, including central banks, finance ministries, and revenue administrations.

Another Singaporean, Daren Tang, last year was the first from the Asian country to take on the top role of director general at the United Nations (UN) World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO). 

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