Pakistan’s central bank governor Ashraf Wathra has played a crucial role in boosting the country’s financial credibility among the international community. Locals now hope to reap the benefits in both banking and capital markets.

Ashraf Wathra is a different choice as head of the State Bank of Pakistan. An outsider brought in to the inner sanctum of monetary policy, he is keen to promote market-based reforms, boost the banking sector and break the reliance on the IMF. Can he profit from the new positivity about Pakistan and cope with his critics?

Pakistan’s Wathra named Euromoney Central Bank Governor of the Year 2016.

Elvira Nabiullina, Euromoney’s central bank governor of the year, is staunchly sticking to her controversial crisis-fighting plan as Russia reels from its biggest financial crisis since 1998. As sanctions and falling commodity prices threaten Putin’s oil-financed state patronage, the central bank – the last bastion of economic orthodoxy – is battling to craft a new growth model. Can Nabiullina turn crisis into opportunity?

Elvira Nabiullina, governor of the Central Bank of Russia, has been named Euromoney’s Central Bank Governor of the Year for 2015.

Central Bank of Russia governor Elvira Nabiullina is using orthodox but painful policy measures to combat the oil- and sanctions-driven storm that is ravaging the economy.

Reserve Bank of India governor Raghuram Rajan’s tough monetary medicine combatted the storm ravaging the deficit-ridden economy in the recent emerging market crisis. Now, he is battling vested interests to arouse a sleepy financial system for over one billion people.

Agustín Carstens, the governor of the Bank of Mexico, has been named Euromoney’s Central Bank Governor of the Year 2013.

The IMF’s loss has been Mexico’s gain. Euromoney’s Central Bank Governor of the Year, Agustín Carstens, continues to keep a steady hand on the economy’s tiller, his orthodoxy mixed with pragmatism that is helping to propel the country forward. He remains outspoken about the need for reform at the IMF.

Agustín Carstens, the governor of the Bank of Mexico, has been named Euromoney’s Central Bank Governor of the Year 2013.

Agustín Carstens is an orthodox central banker in an increasingly unorthodox world. Inheriting an impressive legacy, he has continued the Mexican central bank’s inflation-targeting work while keeping a pragmatic eye on growth. Growth potential is almost unrivalled and Carstens seems intent on ensuring that Mexico’s voice is heard in a new, multi-polar financial world.

Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney’s monetary zeal and flexible approach to an inflation-targeting regime have earned acclaim. Now, he is deploying his charm and credibility to re-tool the global banking industry in the teeth of resistance.

Mark Carney, the governor of the Bank of Canada, has been named as Euromoney’s Central Bank Governor of the Year for 2012.

Tradition has it that the head of the Federal Reserve is the most influential central banker in the world. Ben Bernanke still is. But Zhou Xiaochuan, the governor of the People’s Bank of China, is beginning to run him close.

Israel’s resilience during the financial crisis and its aftermath proves that Stanley Fischer is worthy of the respect he commands at the top of the global financial community. Dominic O’Neill reports.

With nearly 30 years’ experience at the central bank, Durmus Yilmaz is the ideal person to steer the country’s financial system through the global credit crisis. Sudip Roy reports.

Mexico’s central bank governor has achieved rock-star status with his tough line on inflation by standing up to the president’s pressure to reduce interest rates.

Jean-Claude Trichet, European Central Bank.

The Brazilian has brought a sense of euphoria back to the country and established it one of the four key emerging nations, as part of the Bric group.

Riad Salamé faces yet another test of his skills following the outbreak of war between Israel and Hizbullah. He has dealt with previous challenges with flying colours. There’s little to suggest it will be different this time. Sudip Roy reports.

Zeti Akhtar Aziz reforms Malaysia's financial markets; Fukui achieves much by doing llittle in Japan.

In 20 months as governor, Alfonso Prat-Gay built a credible central bank from almost nothing, managed the money supply brilliantly, oversaw currency stability, kept rates low and even began whipping the banking sector into shape. For these achievements, he is Euromoney's central bank governor of the year. But he also strove for greater independence for the central bank. Now, on the eve of the country's crucial bond exchange, president Nestor Kirchner has chosen to dispense with Argentina's most internationally respected policymaker.

National Bank of Kazakhstan's governor, Grigori Marchenko, won't say it, but he has been the main influence behind his country's widely acclaimed economic success story.

Ian Macfarlane points to the dynamism of Australia’s economy, neglected by a market that went hi-tech mad, as part of the reason for his success at the Reserve Bank of Australia. But he’s made a few good calls of his own.

After two years in the job, the South African Reserve Bank’s governor Tito Mboweni has earned the respect and admiration of his peers and market players. His biggest success has been in bringing inflation under control.

Other central bank governors may lead a sedate life, contemplating the economy through half open eyes and jumping into action once or twice a year to notch the prime rate up or down by 25 basis points before they go back to watching the fiscal grass grow. Not Turkey’s Gazi Ercel. Metin Munir reports.

When Armínio Fraga quit his job at Soros Fund Management to become Brazil's central banker he was dubbed a "poacher turned gamekeeper". But he is no stranger to the public sector. With stability restored he is now modernizing Brazil's finance sector. Brian Caplen reports

Brazil long needed a heavyweight in the central bank chair and now it's got one. Gustavo Franco earned his spurs in last October's Asian meltdown. His policy regime, especially the use of capital controls, is being studied around the world. Brian Caplen reports.

His combative approach - along with $70 billion reserves - has seen off all the currency speculators so far. But does Joseph Yam sleep easy at night?

Antonio Fazio, governor of the Banca d'Italia since May 1993, has steered the Italian economy towards low inflation and further enhanced the central bank's reputation for independence.