Sir Masood Ahmed is President Emeritus of the Center for Global Development (CGD), which he led from 2017 until July 2024. He came to CGD after a 35-year career shaping policy on debt, aid effectiveness, trade, and global economic prospects at the IMF, the World Bank, and the UK government. At the IMF he spent eight years as Director of the Middle East and Central Asia Department, overseeing the Fund’s operations in 32 countries, and earlier served as Director of External Relations. From 2003 to 2006 he was Director General for Policy and International at the UK’s Department for International Development. During two decades at the World Bank (1979–2000), he rose to Vice President for Poverty Reduction and Economic Management, overseeing the design and launch of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) debt-relief initiative. Born and raised in Pakistan, he studied economics at the London School of Economics, where he now serves as an independent governor and chairs the Audit Committee. He was knighted (KCMG) in 2023 for services to international development.
