The appointment of Chinese economist, Zhu Min, as IMF Deputy Managing Director has made international headlines. The former World Bank adviser is the first Chinese to secure the high-ranking position at the IMF.

The appointment of Chinese economist, Zhu Min, as IMF Deputy Managing Director has made international headlines. The former World Bank adviser is the first Chinese to secure the high-ranking position at the IMF.

Another milestone in a rising career...

59-year-old Zhu Min has been a special advisor to the IMF since May 2010.

In 1990, he began his six-year stint at the World Bank, where he worked as an economist. During that time he also taught economics at both John Hopkins University in the US and Fudan University in Shanghai.

Zhu then held various positions at the Bank of China, where he served as Group Executive Vice President, responsible for finance and treasury, risk management, as well as internal control.

In 2009, he became Deputy Governor at the People's Bank of China, China's central bank. During his tenure he was in charge of international affairs, policy research and credit information.

Last year, Zhu joined the IMF as a Special Advisor to the Managing Director, in a move to strengthen the IMF's understanding of Asia and the emerging economies.

Zhu's latest post as IMF Deputy Managing Director sees him become the first Chinese to secure the high-ranking position at the Washington-based global lender.

According to IMF Managing Director, Christine Lagarde, Zhu has "a wealth of experience in government, international policy making, strong communication skills as well as an institutional understanding of the Fund".

As emerging economic powers take on greater roles in changing the global economic landscape, analysts say the IMF's appointment of Zhu Min as its deputy managing director underscores the importance of these emerging economies and their push for greater say at the 187-member agency.