John Lipsky

John Lipsky
Distinguished Visiting Scholar, School for Advanced International Studies, Washington, DC; former First Deputy Managing Director, IMF and Member, SIEPR Advisory Board

John Lipsky’s service at the International Monetary Fund coincided with the onset of the greatest economic and financial challenges faced yet by the rapidly globalizing world. Having served as the IMF’s First Deputy Managing Director between 2006-2011, as well as Acting Managing Director from May-July 2011, Lipsky helped to lead the IMF’s efforts to halt the global downturn, to reestablish economic and financial stability, and to restart growth through international policy cooperation in the face of historic market upheavals and systemic disruption. Over the course of his distinguished career in both the private and public sectors, he has earned the credentials that give him the respect of leaders from both sectors around the world. Lipsky offers a unique insight into how economic policy is being negotiated and implemented today, reflecting unique challenges and the global realities of shifting relative power in both economic and political arenas.
During Lipsky's high-profile leadership at the IMF, he directed the Fund’s contributions to the G20 Leaders process, participating in all six Leaders Summits held since the initial Washington Summit in November 2008 – including the decisive London Summit in April 2009, and the stormy Cannes Summit in November 2011. He led the IMF delegation at the 37th G8 summit held in May 2011 in Deauville, France. He was deeply involved in the IMF’s efforts to help quell the current European crisis. As Acting Managing Director, Lipsky represented the Fund at critical meetings of Eurozone Finance Ministers, and pushed hard for stronger action to halt the downward spiral, to restart growth and to implement important reforms. His strong stance and steadfast leadership during this period was noted widely at the time in publications like The Economist.
Mr. Lipsky's current professional activities include serving as Co-Director of the Aspen Institute’s Program on the Global Economy. He also serves on the Executive Committee of the National Bureau of Economic Research’s Board of Directors, and as a Trustee of the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR). And in January 2012 he will join the Johns Hopkins University’s Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) in Washington as a distinguished visiting scholar. SAIS is one of the country’s leading graduate schools devoted to the study of international relations.