The IMF teams for Romania and Bulgaria at Headquarters

Separate teams cover Bulgaria and Romania from IMF headquarters in Washington, DC.

Romanian Team at IMF Headquarters

	Jeffrey R. Franks, Mission Chief for Romania, Advisor, New Memberstates Division, European Department
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Mr. Jeffrey R. Franks, an American citizen, joined the IMF in 1993, as economist in the Fiscal Affairs Department. Since then, he held positions increasing in seniority in the European Department and Western Hemisphere Department, including as IMF Representative in Ecuador and Ukraine. In December 2008, he became mission chief for Romania.
Mr. Franks received a PhD in Political Economy and Government from Harvard University, a BA in Economics (summa cum laude) from Washington State University, an MS degree in Development Economics from Oxford University, and a masters in Public Affairs (Economics and Public Policy) from Princeton University.

 

Mr. Fuad Hasanov (FAD), economist - fiscal sector

Mrs. Aliona Cebotari (EUR), senior economist - real sector, fiscal sector and co-desk economist for Romania

Mr. Niko Alfred Hobdari (SPR), senior economist - external sector

Mr. Carlos Fernandez Valdovinos (EUR), senior economist - real and fiscal sector, co-desk economist for Romania

Mrs. Luisa Zanforlin (MCM), senior economist - financial sector

Mrs. Boriana Yontcheva (EUR), senior economist - monetary sector and structural reforms

 

Bulgarian Team at IMF Headquarters

	Bas B. Bakker, Mission Chief for Bulgaria, Advisor, European Department
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Bas B. Bakker, a national of the Netherlands, joined the IMF in November 1993. During this Fund career, he worked in several departments, including the Research, Asia Pacific, European, and Policy, Development and Review Department (PDR). Prior to becoming the mission chief for Bulgaria, he was the acting division chief of the Surveillance Operations Division in PDR--a division that reviews IMF reports on some 130 emerging market and industrial countries, and assesses vulnerabilities of Emerging Market Countries.
He has a PhD in economics from the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. He is married and has two children.

Ms. Pritha Mitra (EUR), senior economist - monetary and financial sector, co-desk economist for Bulgaria 

Mrs. Jianping Zhou (EUR), senior economist - real sector and desk officer

Mr. Esteban Rodrigo Vesperoni (SPR), senior economist - external sector

Mr. Jerome Vandenbussche (MCM), economist - financial sector

Ms. Andrea Schaechter (FAD), senior economist - fiscal sector