Skip to main content

Agustín Carstens

Former General Manager

Agustín Carstens was the General Manager of the BIS from 1 December 2017 to 30 June 2025.

Prior to this, Mr Carstens was Governor of the Bank of Mexico from 2010 to 2017. A member of the BIS Board from 2011 to 2017, he was chair of the Global Economy Meeting and the Economic Consultative Committee from 2013 until 2017. He also chaired the International Monetary and Financial Committee, the IMF's policy advisory committee from 2015 to 2017.

Mr Carstens began his career in 1980 at the Bank of Mexico. From 1999 to 2000, he was Executive Director at the IMF. He later served as Mexico's deputy finance minister (2000-03) and as Deputy Managing Director at the IMF (2003-06). He was Mexico's finance minister from 2006 to 2009.

Mr Carstens was a member of the Financial Stability Board from 2010-2025 and was a member of the Group of Thirty.

Mr Carstens holds an MA and a PhD in economics from the University of Chicago.

All speeches (143)

All videos (97)

Video 10 Jul 2020
The economic-policy response to COVID 19
Agustín Carstens joins Ben Bernanke, Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Janet Yellen to discuss the economic-policy response to Covid…
Video 1 Jul 2020
2020 Central Banking in the Age of Covid-19 summit
2020 Central Banking in the Age of Covid-19 summit organised by the Institute of International Finance (IIF).
Video 30 Jun 2020
BIS says government debts may hold monetary policy hostage
Carstens discusses takeaways of the Annual Economic Report 2020, saying central banks mustn’t get strong-armed into keeping…
Video 30 Jun 2020
In the face of an unexpected adversary: the crucial role for central banks
Carstens explains why the Covid-19 pandemic is a defining moment for the global economy and for policymakers.
Video 30 Jun 2020
AER 2020
Once again, the world’s central banks were at the forefront of the policy defence during a severe crisis. Agustín Carstens and…
Video 29 Jun 2020
Media briefing on the Annual Economic Report 2020 and Annual Report 2019/20
Carstens, Pereira, Borio and Shin brief the media on the main messages of the BIS's Annual Economic Report and Annual Report…
Video 27 May 2020
Carstens at UBS panel with Jordan and Weber
A debate of key macro questions: What are the biggest macroeconomic/financial market risks in the pandemic crisis? Are current…
Video 5 Jan 2020
ASSA 2020 panel session: Monetary policy frameworks in a world of low interest rates
Discussants analyse whether monetary policy frameworks are still adequate to cope with the challenges central banks are…
Video 5 Dec 2019
The future of money and the payment system: what role for central banks?
Central bank public goods are the foundation for more efficient and inclusive payments, says Agustín Carstens.

All podcasts (12)

00:23:47
ar2025e.jpg
Podcast 29 Jun 2025
Stability amid uncertainty
Agustín Carstens and Hyun Song Shin discuss the trade disruptions and policy uncertainty that are clouding the global economic…
0:00 0:00
sp250626_briefing_podcast.jpg
Podcast 26 Jun 2025
BIS Media Briefing - Annual Economic Report 2025
Agustín Carstens, Andréa M Maechler and Hyun Song Shin brief the media on the main messages of the Annual Economic Report. 
0:00 0:00
00:12:29
ar2024e1_podcast.jpg
Podcast 30 Jun 2024
Laying the foundations
Agustín Carstens outlines the ideal policy constellation for the fastest growth with the lowest inflation and issues a call to…
0:00 0:00
00:47:38
240507_finternet.jpg
Podcast 6 May 2024
Finternet: the financial system for the future
BIS General Manager Agustín Carstens and Siddharth Shetty, from the Foundation for Interoperable Digital Economy, discuss a…
0:00 0:00
00:20:05
ar2023e1.jpg
Podcast 25 Jun 2023
Navigating the disinflation journey
The last mile to price stability will be most challenging, says Agustín Carstens, discussing the risks to the global economy…
0:00 0:00
00:37:08
230222_speech_new.jpg
Podcast 22 Feb 2023
Innovation and the future of the monetary system
In a speech, Agustín Carstens argues that central banks need to think big to reap the greatest benefits from innovation. He…
0:00 0:00
00:12:03
ar2022e1_podcast.jpg
Podcast 26 Jun 2022
Old challenges, new shocks
High inflation and mounting growth headwinds raise the prospects of global stagflation and call for quick and decisive action…
0:00 0:00
00:45:24
220426_innovationsummit.png
Podcast 26 Apr 2022
What are the challenges for central banks in a digital world?
Agustín Carstens speaks with Andrew Bailey from the Bank of England, Jerome Powell from the Federal Reserve Board, Joachim…
0:00 0:00
00:17:26
ar2021e1.jpg
Podcast 29 Jun 2021
Covid and beyond
Agustín Carstens discusses the uneven economic recovery from Covid-19, the challenges for normalising fiscal and monetary…
0:00 0:00

You might also be interested in