Kristalina Georgieva

Kristalina Georgieva

Author: BBC Radio 4 April 25, 2026 Duration: 14:57

Kristalina Georgieva is not like previous heads of the International Monetary Fund. She grew up behind the Iron Curtain in Bulgaria, which was then part of the Soviet bloc. Born in Sofia in 1953, her father was a civil engineer and her mother a shopkeeper. Life was tough because her family weren't part of the Communist Party regime. Her father fell ill when Kristalina was young and she was just fifteen when she went to work at the local food market. She studied economics at the then Karl Marx Higher Economic Institute and then in the late 1980s she headed to London to spend a year at the London School of Economics. Over the last 30 years she's landed top jobs at the World Bank and the European Commission. In 2019, she was appointed managing director of the IMF, becoming the first person from an emerging economy to lead the institution. In the rare moments when she's not working, friends, colleagues and family paint a picture of a fun-loving woman who likes nothing better than dancing and singing. Becky Milligan explores Kristalina's life and career. Contributors Dessislava Kinova - daughter Iliyana Tsanova - friend and Chief Risk Officer at the European Commission Lord Nick Stern - friend and environmental economist Lord Mark Malloch Brown - friend and former World Bank Vice President Ivan Krastev - friend and political scientist Galia Mintcheva - special adviser Archive 60 Minute interview - CBS Face the Nation interview - CBS IMF news conference - UN Audiovisual Library Georgieva at Fortune MPW summit - Fortune Magazine

Producer: Nathan Gower Editor: Justine Lang Sound mix: James Beard Production co-ordinator: Maria Ogundele


Each week, Profile from BBC Radio 4 takes a single name from the global conversation and builds a detailed portrait, moving far beyond the headlines. This isn't a simple biography or a news recap. Instead, through careful documentary storytelling and personal journal excerpts where available, the podcast constructs a nuanced examination of character and motive. You’ll hear from colleagues, critics, and sometimes the subjects themselves, piecing together what drives and defines the people shaping our world. The focus rests firmly on influence, whether in politics, the arts, science, or social movements, exploring how an individual's background and choices ripple through society and culture. Listening to this podcast feels like gaining a deeper, more textured understanding of the figures you think you know, revealing the contradictions and convictions behind the public image. It’s a thoughtful half-hour that challenges first impressions, asking what truly lies behind a name in the news.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Profile
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