Washington, D.C., December 17, 2015 - It is with a profound sense of gratitude, combined with personal regret, that I announce the retirement of George T. Abed, IIF's Senior Counselor and Director for Africa and the Middle East. After gradually scaling back his duties over the past few months, George will leave the IIF at the end of this year. I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge George's extensive career and his significant contributions to the Institute.
Over his eight years at the IIF, George has been a key member of the Institute's senior management team where he made contributions across the full range of the Institute's work. George always maintained a keen awareness of the importance and potential of our emerging markets members. He played a key role in the establishment and growth of our Emerging Markets Advisory Council, a platform that has better integrated the contributions of EM members into the Institute's programs to help ensure that their views and concerns are fully considered in the Institute's work.
George has also diligently worked to expand research and advocacy efforts on behalf of our members in Africa and the Middle East. Under his leadership the IIF opened its Representative Office in Dubai, allowing us to better serve our growing membership in the region. He was also instrumental in organizing our first Spring Membership Meeting in the MENA Region this year in Doha and in raising the profile of the Institute's regional events. In Africa, George led the growth of the Institute's reach and membership and developed the highly successful annual Africa Financial Summit. As a testament to his dedicated efforts, membership from these two regions has experienced robust growth under George's tenure.
More broadly, George has provided wise counsel and advice on a number of strategic issues that have made the IIF a stronger institution.
Among his many other accomplishments, George is a Former Chairman and Governor of the Palestine Monetary Authority, where he developed and implemented a comprehensive plan to restructure the PMA in preparation for transforming the institution into a full-fledged central bank and for reforming and strengthening the banking system in the Palestinian territories.
George also had a successful career at the IMF, where he last served as Director of the Middle East and Central Asia Department and Special Advisor to the Managing Director.
George's deputies, David Hedley and Garbis Iradian, will now continue the established work of the department, assuming responsibility for the Institute's relations with the Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East and North Africa regions, respectively.
I want to personally thank George for his valuable contributions and for his leadership and insight during my time as CEO and wish him well as he pursues his other personal and professional interests into the future.
Timothy D. Adams
President and' CEO
Institute of International Finance'