David Lipton
David Lipton | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 9, 1953 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Occupation | Economist |
| Years active | 1970s–present |
| Known for | Acting Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (2019), First Deputy Managing Director of the IMF (2011–2019), Under Secretary of the Treasury for International Affairs (1997) |
David Lipton (born November 9, 1953) is a prominent American economist who held the position of Acting Managing Director at the International Monetary Fund from July 2, 2019, following Christine Lagarde's appointment as President of the European Central Bank, until Kristalina Georgieva assumed the role on October 1, 2019. Prior to this interim leadership, Lipton served as the IMF's First Deputy Managing Director starting in September 2011. His insights have been featured in major financial outlets such as The Financial Times, Euromoney, Bloomberg News, and The Guardian.
Life and work
A native of Boston, Massachusetts, Lipton completed his undergraduate studies at Wesleyan University in 1975, earning a BA. He then pursued a PhD in economics at Harvard University, which he obtained in 1982 under the mentorship of Jeffrey Sachs. Lipton began his professional journey at the International Monetary Fund before providing advisory support to economies undergoing transitions, including Russia, Poland, and Slovenia. In 1997, he joined the Clinton administration as Under Secretary of the Treasury for International Affairs, where he was instrumental during the Asian financial crisis. Following his public sector tenure, Lipton worked at Moore Capital Management hedge fund and subsequently led Global Country Risk Management at Citi Bank.
Before returning to the IMF, Lipton acted as Special Assistant to President Barack Obama, contributing to initiatives within both the National Economic Council and National Security Council. In 2021, he was named senior counselor to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, where his responsibilities include fostering international policy coordination with US partners and engaging with the G7 and G20 forums.