Michele Bullock has been named as the next governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA), to replace outgoing chief Philip Lowe when his term ends on September 17.
Bullock’s rise to the top job comes after more than 12 months in her current role as the deputy governor, to which she was appointed on April 2, 2022.
Bullock joined the central bank in 1985, where she worked across a number of positions in the RBA’s economic and international departments.
In 2007 she was appointed chief manager of the Payments Policy Department and three years later in 2010 she became one of the RBA’s assistant governors, working in currency before covering general business services and finally the financial system.
Bullock is the ninth governor of the RBA and the first woman to lead the bank in its 63-year history.
“I am deeply honoured to have been appointed to this important position,” Bullock said following her appointment.
“It is a challenging time to be coming into this role, but I will be supported by a strong executive team and boards.
“I am committed to ensuring that the Reserve Bank delivers on its policy and operational objectives for the benefit of the Australian people.”
Read Related Also: Threads passes 100 million users in five days – but is the platform without drawbacks?
Bullock was born in Melbourne but moved to Armidale in NSW when she was a young girl, attending Armidale High School before completing a bachelor of economics with honours at the University of New England (UNE).
Five years later, she completed her master’s at the London School of Economics in 1989.
In an interview with UNE, Bullock described herself as a “country girl” and credited her regional upbringing with giving her perspective at the RBA.
“Growing up in the country and going to UNE was a real leveller for me. There were country kids up there, some went to private schools in Sydney, a lot of them didn’t and went to public schools like me in country areas,” she told the university.
“It wasn’t about where you came from or who you were, it was about what you were contributing, like to the sporting teams you were playing in. It was a really welcoming environment.
“That’s what I try to bring to what I do. I want to be inclusive, welcoming and make a level playing field upon which everyone can contribute.
“And I think I bring that from my country upbringing.”
Sign up here to receive our daily newsletters and breaking news alerts, sent straight to your inbox.
