Kalpana Kochhar To Join Bill And Melinda Gates Foundation

Indian economist Kalpana Kochhar has now will be joining the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, as a Director of Development Policy and Finance. The announcement regarding the same was made by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Wednesday.

Kalpana Kochhar was heading the Human Resources Department of the IMF and will be retiring on July 30. She has been a part of the organisation, for 3 decades now, and has served in many senior positions.

Kalpana Kochhar has led the IMF for over 3 decades

In her 33-year long tenure, Kalpana Kochhar has served the IMF, with a strong sense of leadership, and dedication. "She brought a keen intellect and remarkable passion to her work and always focused her efforts on helping those we serve. Her work helped to shape the Fund and, while we wish her the very best in her new role, she will be sorely missed," said Kristalina Georgieva, IMF Managing Director.

Kochhar joined IMF in 1988

As the Director of HR, Kochhar was responsible for overviewing the IMF's HR policies, and also the recruitment and retention of about 4,000 employees, from 150 countries based in Washington, DC, and in overseas offices.

In the last five years, Kochhar has been pivotal in reviewing and modernising the Fund's compensation and benefits programme, and also implementing the human capital management IT system. This system helped in simplifying, and modernising the HR operations.

Besides her phenomenal work, Kochhar has also been appreciated for caring for the Fund's staff and giving them a sense of belonging. According to Kristalina Georgieva, she has left a legacy, for others to follow.

Kochhar has previously served as the Deputy Director in the Asia and Pacific Department (APD), and Deputy Director in the Strategy, Policy, and Review Department (SPR), for the IMF. She joined the IMF, as an economist in 1988.