Joaquim Levy

Joaquim Vieira Ferreira Levy (born February 17, 1961) is a Brazilian economist and Brazil's former Finance Minister. Levy took office on January 1, 2015, during the presidential inauguration of Dilma Rousseff's second term.

Prior to the appointment, Levy was the President of Bradesco Asset Management, a division of Bradesco, Brazil's second largest private bank.

Born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Levy holds a PhD in economics from the University of Chicago (1992), a Master's in economics from Getúlio Vargas Foundation (FGV) (1987) and graduated in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro.

He was a Professor of Economics at FGV in the 1990s, before joining the IMF, where he worked from 1992 to 1999. At the IMF Mr Levy held several positions in the Western Hemisphere Department (1992), Europe I Department (1993-1997), Capital Markets, and Research (1997-1998). Mr Levy was also Vice-President at the Inter-American Development Bank and Finance Secretary of the State of Rio de Janeiro, during the first administration of Governor Sérgio Cabral Filho.

Between 1999 and 2000, he was a visiting economist at the European Central Bank, having worked in the division of Capital Markets and Monetary Strategy. In 2000 he was appointed Deputy Secretary of Economic Policy at Brazil’s Ministry of Finance, and in 2001 became Chief Economist at Brazil’s Ministry of Planning, Budget, and Management.

In January 2003, he was appointed Treasury Secretary (an officer that in Brazil serves under the Minister of Finance) by president Luís Inácio Lula da Silva, and Levy held that office until 2006. The Chicago-trained economist and former Brazil Treasury Chief is regarded as an experienced orthodox professional and proven fiscal hawk, who helped Brazil obtain its investment grade credit rating by checking spending and overhauling its debt structure.

From 2007 to 2010 Levy served as Finance Secretary of the State of Rio de Janeiro, under Governor Sérgio Cabral. From 2010 to November 2014, Mr Levy was the President of Bradesco Asset Management, an asset arm of the Brazilian giant financial conglomerate Bradesco, with more than US$130 billion under management. Mr Levy left Bradesco at the invitation from Dilma Rousseff to assume the Ministry of Finance.

On Nov, 27, 2014 president Dilma Rousseff named Mr Levy as the country's Finance Minister for her second term, replacing Guido Mantega. Levy took office as Finance Minister on January 1, 2015.

On Jan, 11, 2016 president Jim Yong Kim named Mr Levy as the World Bank Group Chief Financial Officer, replacing Bertrand Badre. Levy's appointment at the World Bank Group is effective February 1, 2016.