Barclays Africa CEO Maria Ramos has accepted an invitation to become a member of the prestigious Group of Thirty (G30). The G30 aims to deepen understanding of international economic and financial issues, and to explore the international repercussions of decisions taken in the public and private sectors.
Other well-known members of this group include Ben Bernanke, the Former Chairman of the Board of Governors of the US Federal Reserve System; Mark Carney, Governor of the Bank of England; Mervyn King, a Member of the House of Lords as well as a former Governor of the Bank of England; and, William C. Dudley, President, Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
The G30, founded in 1978, is a private, nonprofit, international body composed of senior participants from the private and public sectors and academia. Membership of the G30 is by invitation only.
In a statement issued this week, the G30 noted that, alongside Ms Ramos, Agustín Carstens, Governor of the Banco de México, had accepted membership.
The statement quotes Jacob A. Frenkel, Chairman of the 30 Board of Trustees, as having said: “Maria will add diversity of perspective, and a strong and influential South African voice, to our deliberations.”
“She has a breadth of private and public sector experience that will benefit our work and discussions, from her current positions as CEO of Barclays Africa, as Chair of the Banking Association of South Africa, and her prior role as Director General of South Africa’s National Treasury.”
Ms Ramos said: “It is a pleasure to join the G30, which does such key work on international economics and governance. I look forward to working together on projects of common concern and to supporting the Group’s mission.”
Chairman of the G30, Tharman Shanmugaratnam, noted: “Agustín and Maria are outstanding leaders. They each bring a wealth of understanding of the financial and economic challenges of the times, which the G30 seeks to address through our deliberations and ongoing work program of studies.”
Shanmugaratnam continued: “The work of the G30 in international financial and economic thought leadership relies on its dynamic, engaged membership, drawn from across the globe and across public and private sectors. I very much look forward to Agustín and Maria’s contributions in the years ahead.”