Dr. Zeti served as Governor of Bank Negara Malaysia from May 2000 to April 2016. She had an important role in managing the resolution of the financial system in 1998 during the Asian financial crisis and the consequent strong recovery of the Malaysian economy. She was also instrumental in transforming Malaysia’s financial system, including overseeing the enactment of twelve new pieces of legislation for the financial sector. During this period, the Malaysian financial system also underwent a period of progressive liberalisation.

In Asia, Dr. Zeti was active in strengthening cooperation and regional financial integration. In 2006, she chaired the regional task force that prepared the report for the future direction of central bank financial cooperation in the East Asian region. At the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), she was the chair of the BIS Central Bank Governance Group. In the region she was a founding member of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) Asian Consultative Council, and was the first Co-chair of the Financial Stability Board Regional Consultative Council Group for Asia. Dr. Zeti also had an extensive role in the global development of Islamic finance, and was active in the global financial inclusion agenda. She has been an important voice for the emerging world on the many issues concerning the international financial system and on financial and economic management.

She is currently Co-chair, Board of Governors of Asia School of Business, established in collaboration with MIT Sloan. In May 2018, following the change in the Government of Malaysia, Dr. Zeti was appointed as a member of the Eminent Council to advise the Government on the Institutional and Structural Reforms required for the country. She served from July 2018 to April 2021 as group chairman of Perbadanan Nasional Berhad (PNB).

Dr. Zeti received her PhD in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania.