Valerie Cerra

Valerie Cerra is Assistant Director and Division Chief of the Inclusive Growth and Structural Policies Division in the International Monetary Fund’s Institute for Capacity Development (ICD) and most recently had been Chief of ICD’s European and Middle Eastern Division.

She has been involved in policy advice, lending, and capacity development for advanced, emerging market, and developing countries. In the IMF’s Western Hemisphere Department, she was mission chief for Colombia, Panama, and Venezuela. In the IMF’s African Department, she was mission chief for Cabo Verde and led analytical work in regional surveillance in the Regional Studies Division. She also worked in the European Department, Asia and Pacific Department, and the IMF Institute.

Valerie obtained undergraduate degrees in finance and engineering from the University of Pennsylvania, and her Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Washington. Before graduate school, she was a financial analyst at a consulting firm in the U.S. and is a Chartered Financial Analyst. She has published widely in leading economics journals on topics related to international macroeconomics, financial crises, economic scarring, and inclusive growth.