An International Monetary Fund (IMF) director has welcomed the appointment of Dr R. Brian Langrin as the governor of the Bank of Jamaica (BOJ).
“We look forward to working closely with Governor Langrin and the BOJ as we continue our constructive engagement. We wish him every success in this important role,” said Director of the Western Hemisphere Department, Nigel Chalk, in a message.
Chalk added congratulations on “behalf of the IMF”.
Langrin’s appointment becomes effective on Wednesday and he succeeds Richard Byles, who served seven years in the position.
The appointment follows a selection process formalised in April 2026 through a four-member search committee convened by Finance Minister Fayval Williams, which assessed a field of local and international candidates.
Dr Langrin takes over at a time of uncertainty, with the central bank maintaining a tight grip on inflation through elevated interest rates. Dr Langrin brings more than two decades of leadership across central banking, financial stability and multilateral development institutions. He spent more than 15 years at the Bank of Jamaica in senior roles spanning financial stability and economic research, then joined the International Monetary Fund’s Caribbean Regional Technical Assistance Centre (CARTAC) as resident adviser in financial stability from 2017 to 2020. He subsequently served as an executive director at the Inter-American Development Bank in Washington from 2020 to 2022, representing the constituency that includes Jamaica, and most recently held a two-and-a-half-year appointment as board adviser to the World Bank for the Canada, Ireland and Caribbean constituency. He holds a PhD in Economics from Pennsylvania State University and has published extensively on financial stability and monetary policy.
business@gleanerjm.com
