Mark Carney, former Governor of the Bank of England, was the first non-Briton to hold this position since the bank's establishment in 1694. He is currently the UN Special Envoy on Climate Action and Finance and chairs Brookfield Asset Management, overseeing Transition Investing and ESG strategy. Mark also serves as President of Chatham House and chairs the board of directors at Bloomberg.
Mark began his career at Goldman Sachs, where he spent thirteen years in senior roles across Sovereign Risk, Emerging Debt Capital Markets, and Investment Banking. He played a key role during the Russian financial crisis and later managed the sale of the Canadian government's stake in Petro-Canada.
In 2008, Mark became Governor of the Bank of Canada, the youngest Central Bank Governor among G20 nations. His actions during the global financial crisis, including cutting the overnight rate and maintaining low interest rates, helped protect Canada from severe economic impacts. Time Magazine recognised him as one of the "Most Influential 100" for his intellect and leadership.
As Governor of the Bank of England, Mark sought to modernise the institution. He restructured the senior hierarchy, introduced a Term Funding Scheme to support bank lending, and implemented measures to control borrowing beyond interest rates. His 'forward guidance' policy clarified interest rate expectations for businesses and consumers. He was the first Central Bank Governor to prioritise environmental issues, developing stress tests for banks' climate risk. Following the Brexit referendum, he advocated for immediate interest rate cuts to stabilise markets and reduced borrowing costs during the COVID-19 crisis.
In his current role as UN Special Envoy, Mark focuses on achieving net zero emissions, advocating for a $50 trillion investment over the next decade, technological innovation, and new governance frameworks. He views climate challenges as opportunities and explores values-based leadership in his book, "Values: Building a Better World for All". As co-president of Chatham House, he addresses these issues within geopolitical and economic contexts.