Superwoman’s hopes of Bank job fade

DAME Helena Morrissey has all but given up hope of becoming the next governor of the Bank of England, the MoS understands.

She was interviewed to replace Canadian Mark Carney, who leaves on January 31, and remains in the race.

But last week she agreed to join the board of wealth manager St James’s Place as a non-executive director from January 1.

It is understood that Dame Helena took the role in the belief that there is now a very low probability that she will get the Bank job. The appointment of a new governor has been delayed by the General Election. In today’s MoS the 53-year-old known as the City ‘superwoman’ – who has had nine children and a distinguished career – reveals she is only ‘theoretically’ still in the running. She says she is in talks about various other roles after last month leaving Legal & General as head of personal investing.

‘I am looking at a few options,’ she says. ‘One is working for myself, another is speaking and consulting, another is doing a jobshare at a really senior level such as chief executive. Theoretically, I am also still in the running for the Bank of England job. So there are a few irons in the fire.’

Leading candidates to become the Bank’s first female governor are thought to be Baroness Shriti Vadera, chair of Santander in the UK, and Minouche Shafik, boss of the London School of Economics.

Other candidates named include Financial Conduct Authority boss Andrew Bailey and former deputy Bank governor Paul Tucker. Senior Bank officials Ben Broadbent, Jon Cunliffe and Andy Haldane are also in the race.