Mervyn King Joins Women in Sovereign Entities Advisory Board

NEW YORK - March 3, 2014 - PRLog -- Women in Sovereign Entities (WSE), a global nonprofit organization devoted to women executives in the sovereign financial sector, today announced that Lord Mervyn King, the former head of the Bank of England, will join its Advisory Board. Mervyn King was head of the Bank of England and Chairman of its Monetary Policy Committee from 2003 to 2013, Deputy Governor from 1998 to 2003, Chief Economist and Executive Director from 1991, and a non-executive director of the Bank from 1990 to 1991. He was appointed a life peer by Queen Elizabeth II for “contributions to public service,” and is a Fellow of the British Academy, and an Honorary Fellow of King's and St John's Colleges, Cambridge.

King said, “WSE recognizes the key role women, who are under-represented at many sovereign financial entities, play in the sector. Increasingly, women leaders like Janet Yellen, Gill Marcus, Charlotte Hogg, -- to name but a few -- are taking a seat at the table.” Leveraging his extensive central banking expertise, King will provide WSE with strategic guidance and visibility.

According to WSE Founder and President, Sefi Shliselberg, “WSE is the first organization focused on sovereign women, and provides a unique nexus across countries and sovereign entities to facilitate their communication and collaboration, as well as to enhance overall understanding of the sector.”

The sovereign sector, which accounts for over $20 trillion in assets and reserves, has significant influence over global financial markets and plays a critical role in the formulation and implementation of monetary policy. The increasing complexity and interconnectedness of global financial markets has made it vital for the different sovereign entities -- including central banks, ministries of finance, sovereign funds, and multi-lateral financial institutions -- to communicate and collaborate.

"WSE creates a forum for women to learn more about, and discuss critical issues and developments affecting the global sovereign sector,” said the Governor of the Bank of Botswana, Linah Mohohlo, who is also one of the WSE founding members.

By supporting sovereign women’s leadership, and facilitating the sharing of best practices among them so they can benefit from the experience of their colleagues, WSE will help them strengthen their domestic policy frameworks and institutions leading to better public policy, and create a more high-performing global financial landscape.

“WSE helps promote better understanding and collaboration among sovereign entities and supports the principles developed by the International Working Group of Sovereign Wealth Funds for governance and transparency,” said Dr. Rosa Lastra, Professor in International Financial and Monetary Law at the Centre for Commercial Law Studies, Queen Mary University of London, and WSE Advisory Board member.

For more information, please see http://www.theWSE.org.