Mehdi Samii

Mehdi Samii (Persian: مهدی سمیعی‎) was an Iranian chartered accountant, banker and economist.[1] Samii is credited as "one of the chief architects of Iran's rapid economic and Industrial growth in the 1960s", as well as "a midwife of in the creation of the [Central] bank [of Iran]" and "more than anyone else responsible" for it.[1] According to Abbas Milani, "the fact that the bank was a relatively independent institution, free from corruption and political interference and unusually efficient", is attributed to his leadership.[1]

Mehdi Samii
Ambassador-at-large and Advisor to the Prime Minister for International Financing
In office 1971–1973
Prime Minister	Amir-Abbas Hoveyda
Governor of the Central Bank of Iran
In office 1970–1971
Prime Minister	Amir-Abbas Hoveyda
Preceded by	Khodadad Farmanfarmaian
Succeeded by	Abdolali Jahanshahi
In office 1964–1969
Prime Minister	Hassan-Ali Mansur
Deputy	Khodadad Farmanfarmaian
Preceded by	Ali-Asghar Poorhomayoon
Succeeded by	Khodadad Farmanfarmaian
Head of Plan and Budget Organization of Iran
In office 1969–1970
Prime Minister	Amir-Abbas Hoveyda
Preceded by	Safi Asfia
Succeeded by	Khodadad Farmanfarmaian
Personal details
Born	24 June 1918[1] Tehran, Iran[1]
Died	30 June 2010 (aged 92) Los Angeles, California
Political party	Resurgence Party (1975–78)[1] People's Party (1957–75)[1]
Relatives	Fereydoun Mahdavi

He held office as the Governor of the Central Bank of Iran (1964–1969; 1970–1971), Head of Plan and Budget Organization of Iran (1969–1971) and Ambassador-at-large (1971–1973).[1] Before that, Samii rejected job offers for ministerial roles twice: In 1960, Jafar Sharif-Emami offered him ministry of agriculture and the next year, Ali Amini proposed him ministry of commerce.[1]

He was a co-founder of Iranian Institute of Certified Accountants.[1]

References

1. Milani, Abbas (2008). Eminent Persians: The Men and Women who Made Modern Iran, 1941-1979. 1. Syracuse, N.Y.: Syracuse University Press. pp. 760–767. ISBN 0815609078.