Minouche Shafik

Minouche Shafik is a distinguished economist whose career spans public policy and academia. She has served on the foundation’s board of trustees since January 2022.

Shafik became the 20th president of Columbia University in July 2023. Throughout her career, she has been at the center of efforts—often during pivotal, high-stakes moments—to address some of the world’s most complex and disruptive challenges. Her past positions include director of the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), the youngest-ever vice president of the World Bank, permanent secretary of the UK Department for International Development, deputy managing director of the International Monetary Fund, and deputy governor of the Bank of England.

Shafik has authored, edited, and co-authored a number of books and articles. Her most recent book, What We Owe Each Other: A New Social Contract—a rethinking of how we can better support each other to thrive—was published in 2021.

Shafik completed her B.A. at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, her MSc at LSE, and her DPhil at the University of Oxford.