Former Minister of Finance of Indonesia delivers the School of Public Policy’s 2026 Annual Lecture
It was a pleasure to welcome Sri Mulyani Indrawati, former Minister of Finance of Indonesia and former Managing Director of the World Bank, as our guest speaker for the LSE School of Public Policy (SPP) Annual Lecture 2026.
Chaired by SPP Interim Dean Tony Travers CBE, the event brought Sri Mulyani together with SPP inaugural Dean Professor Andrés Velasco, former Minister of Finance for Chile, and development economist Lant Pritchett, for a wide-ranging discussion drawing on her extensive experience in public policy and economic leadership.
Sri Mulyani was the first woman to serve as Indonesia’s Minister of Finance, holding the role under three democratically elected presidents. Before and between her ministerial appointments, she held senior positions at international financial institutions, including Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer of the World Bank and Executive Director at the International Monetary Fund (IMF), where she represented 12 countries in the East Asia and Pacific region.
Speaking to a full audience, Sri Mulyani reflected on some of the most pressing challenges facing policymakers today, exploring geopolitics, economic growth, policy prioritisation and the lessons that other countries can draw from Indonesia’s experience.
A lively Q&A also gave students and guests the opportunity to hear her valuable advice on becoming effective public policy leaders. She highlighted the importance of developing the technical competence to design effective policy, building the political understanding needed to be able to convince key stakeholders, and being continuously prepared to recognise and seize opportunities when the timing is right.
We were pleased to welcome SPP faculty, alumni and students to reconnect with the SPP community and continue the discussions at a reception after the event.
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