The GI Hub is pleased to announce the appointment of new Directors and Alternate Directors to our Board, and to gratefully acknowledge the contributions of our outgoing Director.
Ms Francesca Utili is the Director General for International Financial Relations at the Department of the Treasury within the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance. In this position, she serves as Deputy to the G7 and G20 and is responsible for relations with International Financial Institutions including the IMF, the EIB, and the OECD. Ms Utili is also Alternate Governor for Italy of the major multilateral development banks. She oversees analysis of the international economic, monetary, and financial system.
Previously, Ms Utili served as Financial Counsellor in charge of Ecofin coordination at the Permanent Representation of Italy to the EU in Brussels and as Director for EU Economic Affairs and Director for IMF Affairs at the Ministry of Economy and Finance, Department of the Treasury.
Ms Utili graduated in Economics from the University La Sapienza. She holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Tor Vergata in Rome and a Master’s Degree in Applied Economics from the University of Turin. Her research interests include development and social policies, fiscal policy, European integration, and measurement of poverty and inequality.
Mr Martin Tabi is Director General, International Finance and Development at Finance Canada, a position he has held since 2020. His division plays a lead role in shaping the debate around international financial flows and related development issues. It advises on the overall management and priority-setting of Canada’s International Assistance Envelope and has lead responsibility for the World Bank. It also focuses on export finance, debt relief, and the multilateral development banks and advises on debt relief issues.
From 2016 to 2020, Mr Tabi was the Director of Operations of the Intelligence Assessment Secretariat at the Privy Council Office. The Intelligence Assessment Secretariat supports the National Security Advisor in the provision of all source foreign intelligence assessments to the Prime Minister, Cabinet, the Clerk of the Privy Council, and the senior leadership of the Government of Canada.
Prior to joining the Privy Council Office, Mr Tabi worked for almost a decade at FINTRAC, the Canadian Financial Intelligence Unit, where he was responsible for the international relationships and the research and strategic intelligence divisions.
Mr Tabi holds a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in economics from Laval University.
The GI Hub has also appointed three alternate directors to the Board, who will support the Directors by attending Board meetings when Directors are unable and participate on Committees.
- Zachary Edwards (Canada)
- Laura Palma (Italy)
- Shaima Raqaban (Saudi Arabia)
Ms Utili joins the Board as the member for Italy, in accordance with the GI Hub’s practise of inviting the past G20 Presidency to join the Board.
Mr Tabi replaces Katharine Rechico as the Board member for Canada.
We warmly welcome our new Directors and thank our outgoing Director Katharine Rechico for her invaluable contributions to our organisation.
