Christine Lagarde, managing director of the International Monetary Fund, said Poul Thomsen has been named director of the European Department.

Thomsen has been with the IMF for 32 years and was integral as the mission chief for Iceland, one of the first countries affected by the global financial crisis.

He also led the teams that assisted Greece and Portugal. When his predecessor, Reza Moghadam, resigned in July 2014, he acted as interem director.

“In his 32-year career at the IMF, Poul has made many invaluable contributions as a staff member, manager and senior leader in the institution. He is highly respected inside and outside the IMF for his intellectual leadership, operational experience and technical expertise. In recent times, he has played an especially pivotal role in our work in some of our most challenging programs in Europe,” Lagarde said.

She also said his experience in previous tasks has prepared him to take on current challenges as Europe undergoes an era of economic uncertainty.