IFS appoints new director

The Institute for Fiscal Studies has announced that Robert Chote is to be its new Director. He will take over in the Autumn following the departure of Andrew Dilnot.

Robert, 34, has been an adviser and speechwriter to the First Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund since 1999, working first for Stanley Fischer and then for Anne Krueger. Between 1995 and 1999, he was Economics Editor of the Financial Times. Previously, he served as Economics Correspondent of the Independent and a columnist on the Independent on Sunday, where he was named Young Financial Journalist of the Year by the Wincott Foundation.

Robert graduated in Economics from Queens' College, Cambridge, in 1989, before studying journalism at City University in London. He is a Governor of the National Institute of Economic and Social Research and served as a member of the Statistics Advisory Committee of the Office for National Statistics. He has carried out consultancy work for organizations including the United Nations and Commonwealth Secretariat.

Welcoming Robert's acceptance of the appointment, Ken Etherington, Chairman of the Institute's Executive Committee said: "The Institute's Trustees are delighted that Robert has accepted this appointment. In keeping with the IFS tradition he is young and dynamic and we look forward to him leading the Institute effectively in the coming years".

Robert Chote said: "I am delighted and honoured to be succeeding Andrew Dilnot as Director of the IFS. Under his leadership the institute has consolidated its reputation for authoritative, independent analysis of public policy issues, integrated with high quality academic research. I look forward to working with Research Director Richard Blundell and the rest of the IFS team to build on that tradition and to apply the skills and expertise of the institute to international as well as domestic policy questions. Our goal, as always, will be to deliver rigorous, independent policy analysis, without fear or favour."

Ends

Notes to Editors

1. Andrew Dilnot will become Principal of St Hugh's College, Oxford, at the beginning of the forthcoming academic year. Andrew will be staying involved with IFS as a Research Fellow.