Profile: Corrinne Ho

Position: Senior Economist, Committee on the Global Financial System and Markets Committee

I'm based in the Monetary and Economic Department, half of which focuses on research and statistics and the other half on policy and coordination. I've worked in both areas, but currently I concentrate on the latter. I am now in a unit that runs the secretariats of two central bank committees.

In the 10 years since I joined the BIS, I've had plenty of scope to demonstrate my intellectual capacities. But that's a given if you are an economist here. What's remarkable is that you need a dash of organisational and diplomatic skill, too. A big part of our work is to bring central bankers together to work on topics that matter. Being a good facilitator is part of the job.

I believe that, in our own unique, understated way, the BIS does make a difference to the world. We're not a policymaking organisation, but we do serve a lot of policymakers. What we do for them potentially influences their thinking. Our role as a prime meeting place for central banks also has an effect. As one central banker told me, through the BIS he had grown more familiar with his counterparts in other countries. This familiarity proved its worth during the financial crisis in 2008, when cooperation among central banks became a crucial element in the policy response.

When I first joined the BIS, I was in the research area, which plays a key role in producing the Annual Report and the Quarterly Review. In recent years, there has been growing media coverage of these flagship publications. Even our working papers seem to be getting more media interest. That's another way we make a difference: by contributing to the understanding of economic, financial market and policy developments.

One particularly valuable experience for me was being posted to our Representative Office for Asia and the Pacific, located in Hong Kong. When I started, the office was still small. I had many opportunities to do new and different things and take bigger responsibilities. In my four years there, the office grew in size and activity, gaining recognition from Asian central banks. So, in a way, I've played a part in making the BIS a more global organisation.

Before I joined the BIS, I was doing my PhD in economics in the United States. I'll never forget my job interview here in Basel. Not only did I meet the people who would work in my immediate area, but I also had a short encounter with the General Manager, who told me about the Bank from a strategic perspective. That certainly made a very positive impression on me.

Indeed, one notable feature about the BIS is its small size and relatively flat structure. You get to know people from across the Bank quite easily. You also have pretty direct contact with senior management. Of course, the salaries are competitive and the benefits are good, too. But being able to feel like an integral part of the organisation is an advantage that is certainly not trivial.