Students meet Bank of England Deputy Governor

The Bank of England's Deputy Governor has delivered a speech to University of Leeds students outlining how the UK economy has developed over the past 12 months.

Students from the Accounting and Finance department heard Sir Dave Ramsden speak about the state of the economy and how the November 2023 and November 2024 Monetary Policy Reports compared.

The Bank has had a significant presence in Leeds for 200 years and we have committed to basing at least 500 staff here by 2027

Sir Dave Ramsden, Deputy Governor for Markets and Banking at the Bank of England.

Sir Dave Ramsden said during his speech “It is a huge pleasure to be here at Leeds University Business School. It is great to be able to get here after a short trip across the city from the offices of the Bank of England in Yorkshire House.

“The Bank has had a significant presence in Leeds for 200 years and we have committed to basing at least 500 staff here by 2027.”

After the speech, students took part in a Q&A session with Dr Danilo Mascia, Associate Professor in Banking and FinTech. The students asked questions about uncertainty in the economy and how this influences policy makers’ decisions.

Ning Yang, a fourth year PhD student studying business and economics, said: “I really enjoyed the speech, and it was a great opportunity to hear from a Deputy Governor at the Bank of England.

“It is really helpful to hear about some policy implications to maintain the 2% target inflation, given the domestic and global challenges, as this is relevant to my research in policy uncertainty.”

Following the Q&A, Sir Dave Ramsden spoke about how the Bank’s new presence in Leeds will drive continued engagement with Leeds University Business School (LUBS) and the University in the future.

He added: “We are recruiting in Leeds and are looking for experts in a broad range of careers including economics, finance, data science and risk assessment. Do consider this after you finish studying.”

Professor Julia Bennell, Executive Dean at Leeds University Business School, said: “Our students really benefit from hearing from industry experts and this enables them to gain a deeper understanding of their subject.

“Following the Bank of England’s recent announcement about the commitment of basing 500 staff in Leeds by 2027, it was fantastic to welcome Sir Dave Ramsden to the University to speak about banking and markets.”

Sir Dave Ramsden is responsible for overseeing the markets, banking, payments and resolution directorates and is a member of the Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee, Financial Policy Committee and Prudential Regulation Committee.

He was honoured with a CBE in the New Year Honours of 2004 and was made a Knight Bachelor in the New Year Honours of 2015. He graduated with an MA in Politics, Philosophy and Economics from Oxford University in 1986 and received an MSc in Economics from the London School of Economics in 1990.