Dr. Swati Dhingra appointed to the Monetary Policy Committee

News release

Dr. Swati Dhingra will join the MPC on 9 August for a 3-year term, replacing current external member Michael Saunders who has been on the MPC since August 2016.

Swati Dhingra is an Associate Professor of Economics at the London School of Economics, specialising in international economics and applied microeconomics.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak said:

“Dr. Swati Dhingra’s experience in international economics will bring valuable new expertise to the MPC. I am delighted to appoint her to this role and look forward to seeing her contribution to policymaking in the coming years.

“I would also like to thank Michael Saunders for all his work since he joined the Bank of England, and wish him the best in the next stage of his career.”

Andrew Bailey, Governor of the Bank of England, said:

“I am very pleased to be welcoming Dr. Swati Dhingra to the MPC later this year. Her insights and perspective will be hugely beneficial to all of our discussions and we will benefit from her extensive research in international economics.

“Michael Saunders has been a great asset to the MPC and I would like to thank him for all his work on the committee. I wish him all the best for the future.”

About Dr. Swati Dhingra

Dr. Swati Dhingra is an Associate Professor at the London School of Economics. She is an elected member of the Council of the Royal Economic Society. She is on the Editorial Board of the Review of Economic Studies, and is an Associate Editor for the Journal of International Economics.

Swati is a Research Associate on the Trade Programme at Centre for Economic Performance, and a Research Fellow of the Centre for Economic Policy Research.

Swati received her undergraduate degree from the University of Delhi, her MA from the Delhi School of Economics, and her MS and PhD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Swati was a member of the UK’s Trade Modelling Review Expert Panel and LSE’s Economic Diplomacy Commission. She is currently a Director of The Royal Mint Museum and a member of the Steering Group for The Economy 2030 Inquiry.

About the appointment process

Dr. Swati Dhingra has been appointed following an open recruitment process run by HM Treasury. A panel comprising of Clare Lombardelli (Director General and Chief Economic Advisor, HM Treasury), Tom Josephs (Director of Fiscal, HM Treasury), Dame Colette Bowe (external member of the Financial Policy Committee) and Dame Kate Barker (external member of the MPC from 2001 to 2010) interviewed a number of candidates and made recommendations to the Chancellor, which informed his decision.

The Treasury is committed to appointing a diverse range of people to public appointments, including at the Bank of England. The Treasury continues to take active steps to attract the broadest range of suitable applicants for posts.