Public Debt Management and Investor Relations

Thordur (Thor) Jonasson serves as Deputy Division Chief in the Debt Capital Markets Division of the IMF's Monetary and Capital Markets Department, where he brings extensive expertise in sovereign debt management and financial markets. His career spans over three decades across public and private sectors, with significant contributions to debt management practices globally. Before his current role at the IMF, which he assumed in 2018, Jonasson worked at the World Bank, focusing on developing public and private debt markets and participating in the Financial Sector Assessment Program. His experience includes advising governments and agencies in nearly 60 countries across all major regions. Jonasson played a pivotal role in establishing Iceland's National Debt Management Agency, where he served as Chief Executive Officer. In the private sector, he worked as Managing Director at Askar Capital Investment Bank and as an independent consultant, advising municipalities and state-owned corporations on debt management and treasury operations. His academic background includes studies at the University of Edinburgh, where he earned an MBA in Finance, and the University of Iceland, where he completed his Cand. Oecon in Economics and Accounting. Jonasson has published extensively on asset and liability management, sovereign debt restructuring, and capital market development, contributing significantly to the field's literature and best practices.

Miriam Tamene is a Senior Financial Sector Expert at the International Monetary Fund, where she has served since December 2013. Her expertise centers on developing and implementing Medium-Term Debt Management Strategies (MTDS) and Annual Borrowing Plans for member countries. Before joining the IMF, Tamene held a significant position at the UK Treasury, where she designed crucial financial intervention measures and their impacts on debt markets, particularly focusing on T-bills and gilts. Her responsibilities included providing policy advice on active cash management, on-lending, and foreign currency reserves. Tamene's academic credentials include an MBA from Imperial College (UK), an MA in Economics from the University of Toronto, and an Honors BA with a double major in Economics and Mathematics from York University in Ontario, Canada. Her work at the IMF involves providing technical assistance on debt management to member countries and contributing to the Fund's surveillance work, making her a key figure in shaping global debt management practices and policies.

James Knight is a Senior Financial Sector Expert in the Debt Capital Markets division of the IMF's Monetary and Capital Markets department, where he specializes in sovereign debt management and investor relations. Before joining the IMF in 2017, Knight spent over 15 years at the UK Debt Management Office as Head of Investor Research, developing extensive expertise in government debt markets and policy analysis. His research has made significant contributions to the field, particularly through his work on sovereign investor relations and index-linked bond issuance. Knight has authored influential papers including "Sovereign Investor Relations: From Principles to Practice" which established frameworks for effective sovereign debt management and investor relations programs. He holds a BSc in Economics & Politics from the University of Bath and an MSc in Economics from Birkbeck College, University of London. As a CFA Charterholder and Chartered Fellow of the CISI, Knight brings both academic rigor and practical market experience to his role at the IMF, where he continues to shape best practices in sovereign debt management and market development.

Arindam Roy is a Senior Financial Sector Expert in the Monetary and Capital Markets Department of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), specializing in sovereign debt management. His expertise spans over two decades, encompassing roles in central banking, government finance, and international financial institutions. At the IMF, Roy has made significant contributions to key reports on public debt transparency, domestic debt restructuring, and local currency bond market development. His work involves both country-specific assignments, such as Zambia, Seychelles, and Bangladesh, and broader technical assistance to IMF member countries. Prior to joining the IMF full-time in 2018, Roy served as a short-term expert for the IMF and the Asian Development Bank. His career highlights include a decade-long tenure at the Commonwealth Secretariat in London, where he led the debt management program, supporting capacity building in over 30 member countries. Roy's foundational experience comes from his 10-year service at the Reserve Bank of India and the Ministry of Finance, focusing on central banking issues and debt management. Academically, he holds an M.Phil in Economics from Jawaharlal Nehru University in India, which underpins his practical expertise in macroeconomic and financial policy

Mary Goodman is a seasoned financial expert currently serving as Assistant Director and Chief of the Debt Capital Markets Division in the IMF's Monetary and Capital Markets Department. Her career spans both public service and private sector roles, bringing a unique perspective to global financial management. At the IMF, which she joined in 2014, she leads initiatives focused on sovereign debt risk assessment, capacity building, and debt policy implementation. From 2020-2023, she served as Mission Chief for Kenya and co-headed the African Department's Debt Group, where she played a crucial role in addressing debt issues across the continent. Prior to the IMF, Goodman accumulated 13 years of capital markets experience at Moore Capital Management and as managing director of a global liquid credit fund. Her distinguished public service career includes serving as Special Assistant to President Obama for Financial Markets at the National Economic Council during the Global Financial Crisis, working closely with Treasury Secretary Geithner to stabilize the US financial system. Earlier in her career, from 1991-1998, she served at the US Treasury Department as the US Paris Club negotiator and G7 Debt Expert. Goodman's academic credentials include an MSFS from Georgetown University with distinction and a BA from Stanford University with honors. She has also contributed to academia by teaching graduate-level courses on International Financial Institutions at Georgetown University.