May, UK, urges women to apply for Bank of England

LONDON (Reuters) – British Prime Minister Theresa May said on Wednesday that she would welcome candidates for Mark Carney's succession to the position of governor of the Bank of England, a position held solely by men for more than a year. of three centuries.

Britain began looking for the next boss of its central bank before Carney's departure in nine months.

"As you may have noticed, I like it when women hold positions of responsibility. I think women should be encouraged to apply for positions of responsibility, "she told a committee of senior legislators.

"It will be important to decide who is the right person to be the Governor of the Bank of England, but I would encourage applications from women," said May – who began her career at the BoE – a declared.

Speaking separately, the chief controller of the BoE said that the next governor should be the best person for the job, regardless of gender, but he also said that a governor would constitute a major event. Historical significance.

"It will be a brilliant moment for this institution when we name our first female governor and it will be a shining moment for the institution when we appoint our first BAME governor (black, Asian and ethnic minority)," Bradley Fried, president BoE's Court, told the Treasury Committee.

Carney, a Canadian, became the first foreign governor of the BoE's three centuries of history when he took office on July 1, 2013. He is expected to retire on January 31 of next year. .

Among the people expected to replace him, there is a man, including former BoE deputy governor Andrew Bailey, who is now the chief executive of the Financial Conduct Authority, a market regulator, and senior officials BoE, such as Deputy Governor Ben Broadbent. Andy Haldane, Chief Economist.

Potential candidates include Minouche Shafik, former deputy governor of the BoE and director of the London School of Economics, and Shriti Vadera, non-executive president of Santander UK, one of the UK's largest banks, and minister Assistant Business Crisis.

Carney acknowledged the lack of women in leadership positions at the BoE. Only one of the nine current policymakers at the central bank is a woman. Similarly, of the 12 members of its Financial Policy Committee, only one is a woman.