Bernard Lauwers

Bernard Lauwers

Bernard Lauwers joined as Director of the Finance Department at the International Monetary Fund in April 2021. In this capacity, he oversees the mobilization, management and control of the Fund’s financial resources and advises Fund management and the Executive Board on all aspects of its financial policies and operations. His responsibilities include the development and implementation of policies aimed at ensuring the efficient and sound management of the Fund’s resources, financial reporting, accounting, liquidity and asset management, and the conduct of the Fund’s financial transactions with member countries.

Bernard, a Belgian national, is a senior finance executive with over 30 years of experience across international financial institutions and in the private sector, spanning over multiple sectorial activities and countries. He comes to the Fund from the World Bank Group (WBG), where he was the Group-wide Vice President and Controller from 2014 to 2019, and then Vice President on Special Assignment, leading major institution-wide initiatives. For most of 2019 he was Acting Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer, responsible for overseeing financial reporting, risk management, and the sustainable mobilization of financial resources. He also led the client service function for WBG corporate expenses and WBG trust funds.

Prior to holding those positions, Bernard was IFC’s Chief Administrative Officer, overseeing information technology, corporate strategy, facilities management and security, and the leadership of cross-organizational efficiency/productivity improvement efforts. He joined IFC in 2009 as Controller and Director of the Finance and Accounting Department, in charge of financial sustainability, and the IFC back-office function, IFC’s liquid assets and borrowings portfolios, as well as internal controls over financial reporting, procurement and data governance.

Before joining IFC, Bernard built nearly twenty years of international finance experience across various industries, including management positions in several large multinational companies such as the biopharmaceutical UCB Group, Cable & Wireless, Owens-Corning and A.C. Nielsen.

Bernard holds a master’s and a bachelor’s degree in Engineering & Business from Solvay Business School in Belgium and the designation of Certified Financial Analyst by the European Federation of Financial Analysts Societies.

Last updated: April 15, 2021