Supermum of NINE tipped to be first female Governor of the Bank of England
DAILY MAIL,21 SEPT,2019- A mother of nine known as the ‘City Superwoman’ is in the running to become the first female Governor of the Bank of England in its 325-year history,the Mail on Sunday can reveal.
High-flying financier Dame Helena Morrissey, 53, has been interviewed to take over from Canadian Mark Carney when he leaves the role in January.
A fund management executive, Dame Helena is thought to be one of about nine candidates being considered for the position, one of the most high-profile public service jobs in the country.
She lives in Notting Hill, West London, with her husband Richard, a Buddhist monk.their children are aged from ten to 27,and include acclaimed singer-songwriter Flo, 24.
Dame Helena has said that having so many children has helped her in her professional life, as she has come to accept ‘a certain degree of chaos... you learn that you can’t sweat the small stuff.
‘People think I must be incredibly wellorganised, but sometimes you just have to let it go.’
And she has spoken of her aim to get a good work-life balance, saying: ‘I would love to have a radical shake-up in the idea that you have to work every hour you are given to be successful at your job... Long hours are not good for anybody and not good for risk management.’
The comprehensive-educated Cambridge graduate is also a high-profile campaigner to get more women at the top of businesses.
In 2010 she founded the 30% Club to get more women into the boardrooms of FTSE 100 companies, and helped raise the proportion of directors from 12.5 to 32.6 per cent. She is also a Brexiteer, which would mark a change of tone from Carney, who has long been accused of advancing Remainers’ ‘Project Fear’ with his gloomy forecasts.
Outspoken Brexiteer Gerard Lyons, 58, who was an adviser to Boris Johnson when he was Mayor of London, is also understood to have been interviewed for the role.