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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 4 Nov 2021
Multi-CBDC arrangements: transforming words into works
Jointly operated payment systems involving multiple central bank digital currencies (multi-CBDCs) are a way to improve cross…
Video 24 Oct 2021
Conversation between the GM and Professor Bai Chong'en at the 3rd Bund Summit
A 36-minute conversation on policy normalization in AEs and its impact on Asia, CBDC, and big tech regulation.
Video 20 Oct 2021
GM at the 2021 Beijing Financial Street Forum: Normalization and Impacts on Asia and EMEs
Emerging markets are better placed to withstand tightening global financial conditions than in the past, thanks to stronger…
Video 17 Oct 2021
The global economy: managing uncertainty
The worst of the pandemic is hopefully behind us but there are many sources of uncertainty, some known and some unknown. 
Video 12 Oct 2021
Concepts and models to combat climate change - central banks’ contributions
Central banks can and will contribute to tackling climate change, but they need to set the right expectations about their…
Video 6 Oct 2021
Regulating big tech in the public interest
Welcome remarks and introduction to the "Regulating big tech: between financial regulation, anti-trust and data privacy"…
Video 21 Jul 2021
The BIS Innovation Hub - 2021
In a speech to the 91st BIS AGM, Agustín Carstens and Benoît Cœuré updated governors on the work of the Innovation Hub two…
Video 11 Jul 2021
Policy panel on global coordination and policies for emerging and advanced countries
Agustín Carstens participated in a panel discussion about global coordination on climate change and policies for…
Video 6 Jul 2021
Economic recovery from Covid-19 and beyond
Agustín Carstens presented the Annual Economic Report 2021, followed by a discussion with HKMA Chief Executive Eddie Yue. 

All podcasts (12)

00:23:47
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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

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