New Zealand appoints Riksbank’s Anna Breman as central bank governor

By Lucy Craymer

WELLINGTON (Reuters) -New Zealand Finance Minister Nicola Willis on Wednesday announced that Anna Breman has been appointed as the country’s new central bank governor, making her the first woman in the role.

Willis said Breman, currently the First Deputy Governor of Sweden’s central bank, the Riksbank, will take up her role at the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) on December 1.

“Dr Breman comes to New Zealand with an impressive blend of technical skills and organisational leadership experience,” Willis said in a statement.

Breman was nominated for the role by the RBNZ board following a worldwide search in which 300 potential candidates were identified, she added.

RBNZ board deputy chair Rodger Finlay welcomed Breman’s appointment.

“Anna’s experience spans central banking, academia and financial markets,” he said.

“She has strong technical knowledge within monetary policy, financial stability and payments systems after several years at the Executive Board at the Riksbank and an extensive international experience.”

Breman is the first foreign national appointed to the role in at least 37 years. However, the appointment of a foreigner to a governor role is not unheard of with the Bank of England appointing Canadian Mark Carney as governor in 2012.

New Zealand, which was the first self-governing country to give women the vote 135 years ago and has had three female prime ministers, has never had a female governor of its central bank. Karen Silk is currently Assistant Governor at the RBNZ.

Breman will replace current RBNZ Governor Christian Hawkesby, who was appointed to the role for six months in April following the surprise resignation of former governor Adrian Orr.

(Reporting by Lucy Craymer in Wellington Writing by Alasdair Pal; Editing by Sam Holmes)