Leading public servant Jenny Wilkinson has been touted as a frontrunner to become the next Governor of Australia’s Reserve Bank.
Wilkinson, who is currently the Secretary of the Department of Finance, has been tipped in multiple media reports as the person most likely to succeed Philip Lowe.
Lowe’s term as the Reserve Bank Governor is set to end in mid-September, and although it is possible for him to be reappointed to the role, it is not expected to happen.
Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers is tasked with appointing the Governor of the Reserve Bank. It has been reported that Treasury Secretary Steven Kennedy and Reserve Bank Deputy Governor Michele Bullock are also in consideration. Chalmers is expected to make the decision in July.
The appointment of the next Governor comes as Lowe has faced pressure over the Reserve Bank’s decisions to continually raise interest rates amid soaring inflation. At its most recent meeting, the Reserve Bank decided to leave the cash rate unchanged at 4.10 per cent following 12 previous rate rises.
So who is Jenny Wilkinson, the frontrunner to be the next RBA Governor?
Treasurer Jim Chalmers has previously described Wilkinson as the “best of the best” when she was promoted from Treasury Deputy to Finance Secretary in 2022. She has been in this role since August, 2022.
Wilkinson has had a long career in the public service, having held senior roles across different departments including the Treasury, the Parliamentary Budget Office, the Department of Industry, the Department of Climate Change, the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and the Reserve Bank of Australia.
In these roles, Wilkinson has provided key advice on a range of economic issues.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the Australian National University and a masters in public affairs from Princeton University. In 2021, she was awarded a PSM for outstanding public service in fiscal policy, particularly in relation to the federal government’s economic response to COVID-19 and its JobKeeper policy.
She’s also served on a variety of prominent advisory boards, including the ANU Tax Transfer Institute Advisory Board, the ANU College of Business and Economic Advisory Board, the Grattan Institute Public Policy Committee and the Melbourne Institute Advisory Board.