Financial Development and Inclusion Essentials

Ralph Chami currently serves as Assistant Director at the International Monetary Fund, where he has made significant contributions across multiple roles during his 25-year tenure. His current focus involves pioneering work on climate change and biodiversity conservation, developing innovative models for valuing natural capital and ecosystem services. As former Assistant Director in the Institute for Capacity Development, he led the transformation of IMF's internal and external training programs. His distinguished career includes serving as Division Chief overseeing fragile states in the Middle East and Central Asia Department, where he earned the 2014 IMF Operational Excellence Award for his work on Libya. Before joining the IMF in 1999, he was a faculty member at the University of Notre Dame's Department of Finance. His academic credentials include a Ph.D. in Economics from Johns Hopkins University, an MBA from the University of Kansas, and a BS from the American University of Beirut. Beyond his economic expertise, Chami has co-founded Blue Green Future and Rebalance Earth, organizations dedicated to developing nature-positive market solutions. His innovative work on natural capital valuation has been featured at TED2022 and in major international media outlets

Sami Ben Naceur currently serves as the Deputy Division Chief of the African Division at the IMF's Institute for Capacity Development, bringing extensive expertise in macroeconomics and financial policy. His impressive career at the IMF includes serving as Chief of Internal Economic Training Unit, where he managed approximately 100 annual events for IMF economists, and as Deputy Director of the IMF-Middle East Center for Economics and Finance in Kuwait. His academic credentials include a Ph.D. in Finance from Paris Sorbonne University, a diploma from INSEEC School of Business and Economics, and an MSc. in Management Science from the University of Tunis

Dyna Heng currently serves as an Economist at the IMF's Institute of Capacity Development, bringing extensive expertise in financial markets and capital flow management. His career at the IMF has included significant work in the Monetary and Capital Market Department, where he contributed to the Global Financial Stability Reports and Japan's Financial Sector Assessment Program. As a former desk economist in the Western Hemisphere Department, he gained valuable experience in regional economic analysis. Before joining the IMF, Heng worked as a financial sector specialist at the World Bank, building a strong foundation in international financial development. His research portfolio focuses on critical areas including capital flow management, financial interconnectedness, and financial sector development. With a Ph.D. in Economics from the Australian National University, Heng combines academic rigor with practical experience in global financial markets, making him a valuable contributor to the IMF's capacity development initiatives

Dmitriy Rozhkov is a senior economist in the IMF Institute for Capacity Development, bringing over two decades of experience at the International Monetary Fund since joining in 2000. His expertise spans monetary and financial sector issues, with extensive involvement in Financial Sector Assessment Programs (FSAPs) and numerous surveillance and program missions across Africa, Asia and Pacific, and Middle East and Central Asia. Rozhkov's research at the IMF has primarily focused on financial sector challenges in developing countries. He has contributed significantly to capacity development, including co-authoring research papers on Enterprise Risk Management published by prestigious organizations and developing content for the IMF's online course on financial development and inclusion. His academic background includes a PhD in Economics from Harvard University, an M.Sc. from the London School of Economics, and a B.Sc. from Moscow University. Prior to his IMF career, Rozhkov worked as a teaching and research assistant at Harvard University and as a technical analyst for the Russian government, providing him with a unique blend of academic and practical experience in economic policy and financial sector development.

Ashique Habib serves as an Economist at the International Monetary Fund, where he has worked across multiple departments including the Research Department's Multilateral Surveillance Division, the Institute for Capacity Development, and the African Department. After transitioning from a career as a civil engineer in Canada's mining sector, he earned his PhD in Economics from the University of Toronto and has built an impressive career studying firm financing and economic development. His research spans macroeconomics, financial economics, and development, with recent work examining climate change impacts on monetary policy. As a contributor to major IMF research initiatives, including studies on climate-induced disasters and their economic implications, he continues to shape understanding of development economics while maintaining active engagement with international policy forums like the World Economic Forum. Through his current role at the IMF's Institute for Capacity Development, he advances research on financing mechanisms and economic development while contributing to capacity building initiatives across member countries.