Distinguished Sovereign Debt Expert and International Finance Scholar
Associated with :
The International Monetary FundLeonardo Martinez serves as Senior Economist at the International Monetary Fund's Institute for Capacity Development, where he leads the Public Debt Dynamics Tool technical assistance practice and teaches courses on financial programming and policy analysis. After earning his PhD in Economics from the University of Rochester under advisor Per Krusell and initial studies at Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, he has built an extraordinary career spanning central banking and international financial institutions. His academic impact is evidenced through publications in prestigious journals including the American Economic Review, Journal of Political Economy, and Journal of International Economics, with research focusing on sovereign debt, fiscal rules, and international reserves. His professional journey includes significant roles at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond (2004-2009) and various IMF departments, including the Research Department's Macro-Financial Division and missions with Western Hemisphere and Fiscal Affairs departments. As lead developer of public debt online courses and technical assistance programs, he continues to shape understanding of sovereign risk and debt management while maintaining an active research agenda in political economics and mortgage markets. His expertise extends to teaching diverse courses including Fiscal Sustainability, Macroeconomic Diagnostics, and Public Debt Sustainability Analysis, reflecting his commitment to building capacity in fiscal and monetary policy implementation.