The RSA is delighted to announce that Andy Haldane, Chief Economist at the Bank of England, has been appointed as its new Chief Executive.
The RSA (Royal Society for Arts, Manufactures and Commerce) is an independent charity, founded in 1754, which unites people and ideas to develop practical solutions to solve the challenges of our time. The RSA’s President is HRH Anne, the Princess Royal.
Andy is currently Chief Economist at the Bank of England, a role which he took on in 2014, having joined the Bank in 1989. He is a member of the Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee and his previous roles at the Bank include being Executive Director of Financial Stability and member of the Bank’s Financial Policy Committee. He was also Chair of HM Government’s Industrial Strategy Council.
In 2009, Andy co-founded Pro Bono Economics, an independent charity chaired by former Cabinet Secretary Lord Gus O’Donnell, with a mission to use economics to empower the social sector and to increase well-being for all in the UK. In 2014, Andy was named by Time magazine as amongst the world’s 100 most influential people.
Andy will succeed Matthew Taylor CBE, the current CEO, whose decision to leave his role was announced in December 2020.
Andy will lead the RSA’s staff, relationships with the RSA’s 30,000 Fellows, and the organisation’s many partnerships across the public, private and third sectors. As CEO, Andy will also take forward the RSA’s current programmes which include the Future of Work (which seeks to make all work ‘good work’ in an era of technological change) and Regenerative Futures (which is embedding sustainable industry practice).
Andy has already worked closely with the RSA in the past on projects, including the Citizens’ Economic Council, which brought together experts and citizens to discuss economic issues following the Brexit vote.
Tim Eyles, RSA Chair, said:
“This is a moment of huge historic significance for the world. The challenges presented by Covid, deep-seated inequalities, and Brexit in the UK, require powerful and creative thinking, and the delivery of practical solutions capable of global application. Change must come if lives are to be improved and the planet’s future secured.
“Andy’s extraordinary accomplishments — in his thirty years at the Bank of England, in economic policymaking and academia, in his commitment to people leadership and diversity, equity and inclusion, and in building bridges between experts and citizens, government, business and the third sector — all make him ideally placed to lead the RSA at this critical juncture.
“We are incredibly excited at the prospect of Andy being at the helm to take the RSA’s ambitions forward and generate even greater societal impact, building on the strong legacy created by Matthew Taylor’s leadership over the last 15 years.
“I much look forward to working with Andy when he joins us in September.’’
Andy Haldane, incoming Chief Executive, said:
"I have loved my 30 years at the Bank of England, a great British institution, working with so many fantastic colleagues on so many crucial public policy issues.
“I am now excited to be joining another great British institution, the RSA.
“My conversations with the RSA’s trustees and staff have confirmed a shared sense that this is an historic moment for our societies, with new challenges from technology to longevity, from inequality to the environment.
“Meeting these new challenges will require new thinking, new policies and new partnerships between governments, industries and civil society, working in partnership.
“With its long and distinguished history of creative thinking, social innovation and civic participation, including through its Fellows, I believe the RSA is the institution best placed to tackle these challenges.
“For more than 250 years, the RSA has been creating a sense of wonder about the world – and then, through its actions, changing the world by creating new wonders.
“That task has never been more important than now.
“I am looking forward to working with trustees, staff, Fellows and partners to help write the next chapter in the RSA’s illustrious history, delivering the lasting change its role requires and our societies deserve.”
ENDS
Biography:
Andrew G Haldane is the Chief Economist at the Bank of England. He is a member of the Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee and Chair of the Government’s Industrial Strategy Council. Among other positions, he is Honorary Professor at the University of Nottingham, a Visiting Fellow at Nuffield College, Oxford, a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences, a Governor of the National Institute of Economic and Social Research and Co-chair of the City of London Corporation Taskforce on Socio-Economic Diversity. He has authored around 200 published articles, 100 published speeches and 4 books. Andrew is the founder and trustee of ‘Pro Bono Economics’, a charity which brokers economists into charitable projects and is Vice- Chair of the independent charity, National Numeracy.
Contact:
Ash Singleton, Head of Media and Communications, ash.singleton@rsa.org.uk. 07799 737 970.
Notes:
The RSA (from August 2020, the royal society for arts, manufactures and commerce) is an independent charity, committed to a future that works for everyone. A future where we can all participate in its creation.
The RSA has been at the forefront of significant social impact for over 260 years. Our proven change process, rigorous research, innovative ideas platform and diverse global community of over 30,000 problem solvers, deliver solutions for lasting change.
Legally, the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (‘RSA’) is a Royal Charter Company and registered charity in England and Wales (charity number 212424) and in Scotland (charity number SC037784).