The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has announced the appointment of Mr. Mitsuhiro Furusawa as Deputy Managing Director of the fund.

Managing Director of the fund Christine Lagarde confirmed the appointment in a statement released, Friday.

Mr. Furusawa, who has most recently served the Government of Japan as Special Advisor to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Finance, is expected to commence work on March 2. He will take up the position vacated by Naoyuki Shinohara, who leaves the IMF at the end of February.

Mr. Furusawa studied Law at the University of Tokyo, and also graduated from France’s Ecole Nationale d’Administration. His roles in Japan’s public service have focused largely on international finance and budget in the Ministry of Finance, where he was appointed Vice Minister for International Affairs. In the diplomatic service, he has served in France and also in the U.S.A., where he held the rank of Minister (Finance) at the Embassy of Japan in Washington D.C. He has also held positions in tax administration and regional government.

“Mitsuhiro brings with him a wealth of experience from his long and distinguished career with the Government of Japan, where he has held a very wide range of positions,” Ms. Lagarde said.

“He also knows the IMF very well, having spent two years as Executive Director for Japan from 2010 to 2012. In particular, he played a pivotal role in helping to turn the IMF Annual Meeting in Tokyo into a very successful gathering of economists and financial experts, highly valued by the membership.”

Ms. Lagarde added that “We look forward to welcoming Mitsuhiro back to the Fund.”