Senior IMF Official Spends Week at STL

The week of March 20 included a public lecture, class visits, and several student and faculty meetings with senior International Monetary Foundation (“IMF”) official David Vannier. Mr. Vannier works closely with IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde and oversees the external affairs of the Managing Director’s office, including all speaking engagements, written correspondence, protocol and special projects for IMF management. Prior to joining the IMF, Mr. Vannier was a journalist covering international affairs for Business Week and The Financial Times.

Mr. Vannier’s March 21 public lecture focused on “The International Monetary Fund’s Role in the Global Economy.” He discussed the history of the IMF, its mission and organizational structure, the IMF’s relationship to other international institutions such as the World Bank and the new Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, and the IMF’s decision-making process. A lively Q&A followed the lecture.

In addition, Mr. Vannier provided guest lectures in several STL classes during his stay. The classes included Corporate Finance, International Financial Regulation, Treaty Arbitration, and a seminar on Corporate Governance Law and Policy. The discussion in each class contributed to student understanding of theoretical concepts in the real world of international monetary organizations. Class discussions were enriched by Mr. Vannier’s visits with students and faculty throughout the week.