The International Monetary Fund on Monday named as its new chief economist Maurice Obstfeld, an academic and White House economic adviser known for his work on money flows and international finance, Reuters reported. Obstfeld, currently on leave from the University of California, Berkeley to serve on President Barack Obama's Council of Economic Advisers, will take over from the retiring Olivier Blanchard in September, the IMF said in a statement. "I am thrilled to have Maurice join us at the Fund. His outstanding academic credentials and extensive international experience make him exceptionally well placed to provide intellectual leadership to the IMF at this important juncture," IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde said.
