Afua Kyei

Afua Kyei is one of the UK’s most prominent voices in leadership, finance, and inclusion. As Chief Financial Officer and Executive Director of the Bank of England, she has broken barriers as the institution’s first Black executive and one of its youngest leaders, appointed at just 36. Afua’s influence extends well beyond economics. As co-executive sponsor for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at the Bank, she has championed representation and cultural change at the highest level, using her platform to inspire future generations of women and people of colour in business and finance. Her speaking work reflects the same commitment, blending personal experience, professional insight, and a focus on how inclusion strengthens organisational performance.

Afua’s career began with a foundation in science. She studied Chemistry at Somerville College, Oxford University, where her research in organic synthesis was published internationally. Awarded a Junior Research Fellowship at Princeton University, she developed the analytical and problem-solving skills that would later define her financial leadership. After qualifying as a Chartered Accountant (ICAS) with Ernst & Young, she entered investment banking with UBS, where she advised on complex transactions during the global financial crisis. She played a key role in advising RBS on divestments and capital restructuring under EU State Aid requirements, building a reputation for strategic precision and calm under pressure.

From there, Afua joined Barclays Bank, rising to become Chief Financial Officer for Mortgages and later Director of Business Planning and Analytics. She contributed to Barclays’ TRANSFORM strategic cost transformation programme, helping deliver billions in operational savings. In 2019, she was appointed CFO and Executive Director of the Bank of England, overseeing finance, strategy, performance, and tax at the heart of the UK’s financial system. She has led the governance of a balance sheet exceeding £1 trillion, modernised the Bank’s funding framework through the Financial Services and Markets Act 2023, and directed the renewal of the UK’s real-time payments system processing over £700 billion daily.

Afua’s achievements have earned her widespread recognition. She was named CFO of the Year at the Women in Finance Awards UK, honoured with the Freedom of the City of London, and listed as the UK’s most influential Black person in the Powerlist 2025 and 2026. She also topped the Empower Global Executives Role Model List as the leading female executive of 2024 and was elected Honorary Fellow of Somerville College, Oxford. As a keynote speaker, Afua shares her experience of navigating leadership as a Black woman in finance, the importance of inclusion in decision-making, and the future of purpose-driven business. Whether addressing the G20, COP, or private boardrooms, she speaks with insight, empathy, and conviction, inspiring others to lead with both excellence and equity.