OECD names ex-Hollande adviser Laurence Boone as chief economist

PARIS, June 5 (Reuters) - French economist Laurence Boone, a former adviser to President Francois Hollande and currently chief economist at insurer AXA (Paris: FR0000120628 - news) , will replace Britain's Catherine Mann as the OECD's chief economist, the Paris-based policy forum said on Tuesday.

Boone, who helped craft France's position during the Greek debt crisis since 2014 when she joined Hollande's office, previously worked as the chief European Economist of Bank of America Merrill Lynch. She (Munich: SOQ.MU - news) will take her position in July.

"Her leadership of the OECD's economic team will be a vital part of our effort to rebuild the multilateral for a new age," OECD head Angel Gurria said in a statement.

The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, which was founded in 1948 to manage the Marshall Plan to rebuild Europe after World War Two, produces policy recommendations and economic forecasts for its 35, mostly-rich member countries. (Reporting by Michel Rose; editing by John Irish)