David Lipton is senior fellow for geoeconomics at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). Prior to joining CFR, Lipton served as counselor to Secretary Janet Yellen at the United States Treasury in 2021-22, focusing on international affairs.

Lipton was first deputy managing director at the International Monetary Fund for eight years through March 2020. Before that, he served in the Obama administration as special assistant to the president covering international economic affairs at the National Economic Council and National Security Council. Lipton spent five years in the Treasury department under the Clinton administration where he supervised work with the transition economies rising to under secretary for international affairs during the financial crisis in Asia. Before that, he and Jeffrey Sachs teamed up, advising governments in Eastern Europe during their transition to market economies. Lipton also has experience in the private financial sector, both at Citi and Moore Capital Management.