Kristalina Georgieva is a Bulgarian economist who has served as the 12th Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) since 2019. She is the first person from an emerging market economy to lead the institution and was reappointed for a second term in 2024. At the IMF, she has guided the global economy through the COVID-19 pandemic, providing $1 trillion in liquidity and reserves, integrating climate considerations into IMF policies, and increasing support to vulnerable countries.