Mohamed El-Erian (Photo: Wei Leng Tay/Bloomberg)
Mohamed El-Erian, chief economic advisor at Allianz SE, has been named president of Cambridge University's Queens' College.
The son of an Egyptian diplomat, El-Erian was an undergraduate at Cambridge in the late 1970s, where he studied economics. He also holds a doctorate from Oxford University.
El-Erian worked at the International Monetary Fund for 15 years, and served as a deputy director at the IMF from 1995 to 1997, before a stint at Pimco and Harvard Management Co.
He rejoined Pimco, then the world's largest bond fund, and became chief executive officer and co-chief investment officer before stepping down in 2014. He's also a columnist with Bloomberg News.
The university is made up of 31 autonomous colleges where students live, eat and socialize. Queens', founded in 1448, is home to the Mathematical Bridge across the river Cam.
El-Erian will take up the position at Cambridge in October 2020, succeeding John Eatwell. The new role will involve running the college, as well as representing it at a university-wide level.
[Editor's note: According to a report from CNBC, Allianz hopes El-Erian will continue to "contribute" to the firm after he starts the appointment.]
