Agustín Carstens

Agustín Carstens studied economics at ITAM in Mexico and received a PhD from the University of Chicago. He worked at the International Monetary Fund for over a decade before returning to Mexico, where he served as Deputy Finance Minister and later as Governor of the Banco de Mexico from 2010 to 2017. He became General Manager of the Bank for International Settlements in 2017, taking over the institution that serves as a forum for central bank cooperation and as the "central bank of central banks." At BIS, Carstens has been a prominent voice on financial stability risks, the dangers of excessive cryptocurrency speculation, and the need for thoughtful central bank digital currency development. He has overseen the BIS Innovation Hub, which conducts research on central bank digital currencies and financial technology.