Dr. Irena P. Radović

Dr. Irena P. Radović   

She is Governor of the Central Bank of Montenegro. Dr. Radović simultaneously holds a position as a member of the Board of Directors. Her journey commenced in December 2020 when she was appointed as a member of the IDF Board. Subsequently, she was elected to the role of CEO for a four-year term. In this capacity, she also assumes membership on the National Council for Competitiveness, the National Sustainable Development Council, and holds a position on the Executive Board of the Chamber of Commerce of Montenegro. Born in Podgorica, Montenegro, she graduated from the University of Montenegro, Faculty of Economics, in 2000, achieving first-class honors BA in International Economics and Business. She was recognized with the “19th December” Award in 1999 and the Excellence Award from the State University of Montenegro in 2000. Continuing her academic journey, she pursued an MPhil in International Relations from the University of Cambridge, King’s College, United Kingdom, during the academic year 2001/2. She also attained a master’s degree in Economics from the Consortium for Research and Continuing Education in Economics (CORIPE) in Italy, completing her studies in 2003. Subsequently, she successfully earned her Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Montenegro in 2009. From the year 2000 onward, she has maintained an affiliation with the Faculty of Economics at the University of Montenegro, where she has held the position of Assistant Professor. In this role, she delivered courses on subjects such as International Economics, Globalization of World Trade, and Monetary Economics of the European Union. Additionally, she acted as a lecturer on EU Monetary Policy at the University of Donja Gorica. Irena commenced her professional career in 2000 as an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Economics in Podgorica, in parallel with her engagement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Montenegro. In 2003, she was appointed as the Head of the British Office and became the representative of the British Government in Montenegro. Following Montenegro’s proclamation of independence in 2006, she served as the Deputy to Her Britannic Majesty’s Ambassador in Montenegro until February 2007. Afterward, she became affiliated with All Souls College at the University of Oxford, United Kingdom. In July 2007, she took on the role of Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for Montenegro. Since September 2010, she has served as the Ambassador of Montenegro to France, also carrying the position of non-resident ambassador to the Principality of Monaco and the Principality of Andorra. During this tenure, she acted as the ambassador and permanent representative of Montenegro to UNESCO, a member of the Executive Board of UNESCO (2011-2015), and the Vice-president of the General Conference of UNESCO (2011-2013). From 2011 to 2015, she also held the position of the personal representative of the President of Montenegro in the Permanent Council of the International Organization of Francophonie (OIF). She represented Montenegro in various international organizations based in Paris, including OECD, OIV, OIE, BIPM, and Eutelsat. In March 2017, she was appointed the Vice Governor of the Central Bank of Montenegro responsible for banking supervision pursuant to the decision of the Parliament of Montenegro as of March 2017. She initially joined the Bank in October 2016 as an Advisor to the Governor for Banking Supervision. Beyond banking supervision, Ms. Radović was entrusted with the oversight of non-banking financial institutions and financial consumer protection. During her tenure as Deputy Governor, she was part of the national Financial Stability Council, an ex-officio Member of the Central Bank Council, and an alternate chairperson of the Investment Committee. Between December 2018 and her appointment as the CEO of the Investment and Development Fund of Montenegro, she worked as a consultant for Financial Markets International Inc. on a project funded by USAID. The project aimed to reform the financial system in Bosnia and Herzegovina, particularly focusing on strengthening banking supervision and aligning financial supervision with EU standards. Her honors include the Gold Medal of the Universal League of Public Welfare, presented by the Republican Guard of the Republic of France in April 2014. Notably, Prince Albert II of Monaco bestowed upon her the Sovereign Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Saint Charles, the most prestigious award from the Principality of Monaco. She also received the highest French decoration, Legion d’Honneur, in 2022. Proficient in English, French, and Italian, Ms. Radović is also conversant in Spanish, Albanian, and German.