International Monetary Fund Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn has announced his intention to appoint Anoop Singh as Director of the Asia Pacific Department.

"There are a number of appointments that are in train at the Director-level as part of the Fund's ongoing refocusing effort. It has been my intention to fill these senior positions as quickly as possible," the Managing Director said in Washington.

"Given the skills needed by the Fund and its membership, some of the positions can be filled internally. Today, I am announcing my initial actions in this regard," he added.

Singh, an Indian national, who is currently Director of the IMF's Western Hemisphere Department, will succeed David Burton. He holds graduate and post graduate degrees from the Universities of Bombay, Cambridge, and the London School of Economics.

During his career at the Fund, his appointments have included director, special operations in the office of the managing director; deputy director, Asia and Pacific department; senior advisor, Policy Development and Review Department, assistant director, European Department, and IMF resident representative in Sri Lanka.

Singh has also been special advisor to the governor of the Reserve Bank of India [Get Quote] (I G Patel and Manmohan Singh); senior economic advisor to the vice president, Asia region, the World Bank.