Jacques J. Polak (1914- ) worked as an economist in the League of Nations secretariat (1937-43) and in the Netherlands Embassy in Washington (1943-44), in which capacity he attended the Bretton Woods Conference. He joined the IMF in 1947 and served as director of the Research Department (1958-80), economic councillor (1966-80), and an executive director (1981-86). From 1987 to 1989 he was senior advisor to the Development Centre and World Bank consultant. He was born in the Netherlands and educated at the University of Amsterdam. His many publications include The World Bank and the IMF: A Changing Relationship.

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