Luis M Linde: Introduction to Christian Noyer
Speech by Mr Luis M Linde, Governor of the Bank of Spain, introducing Christian Noyer at
the Foro de la Nueva, Madrid, 28 June 2013.
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Ladies and gentlemen,
It is an honour and pleasure for me to introduce to you today, here at the Foro de la Nueva
Economía,
my colleague and friend Christian Noyer, the Governor of the Banque de France.
With the presence of Governor Noyer, the Foro de la Nueva Economía continues its tradition
of inviting distinguished international personalities from the world of administration, business
and politics, to promote the exchange of ideas on matters of particular interest to society.
I will begin my brief description of the career of Governor Noyer by emphasising something in
his curriculum vitae: Christian Noyer is a good friend of our country. The Spanish
government has recognised this, by awarding him the Gran Cruz de la Orden del Mérito Civil.
With a legal training - he studied law at Rennes and Paris - Governor Noyer subsequently
graduated from the Institut d'Études Politiques and the École Nationale d'Administration, the
school for senior civil servants and top corporate executives.
His professional career began in 1976, when he joined the Treasury in the French Ministry of
the Economy and Finance, where he held various positions relating to debt management,
regulation of the financial industry and the management of public corporations. In the 1990s
he was Head of the Treasury and Chief of Staff for the Ministers of Finance Edmond
Alphandéry and Jean Arthuis.
During those years he built up considerable European and international experience. He was
a member of the European Monetary Committee and held the office of alternate for the
Minister of Finance at the OECD, the G7 and the G10. As Head of the Treasury, he also
chaired the Paris Club.
In 1998 he was appointed Vice-President of the newly established European Central Bank.
In 2003 he succeeded Jean-Claude Trichet as Governor of the Banque de France, a post
that he still holds following his reappointment in October 2009. He is a member of the
Governing Council of the European Central Bank and Chairman, since 2010, of the
Baselbased Bank for International Settlements. He is also head of the Prudential Control Authority,
one of the two most important regulation and supervision bodies in France.
Today, Christian Noyer is one of the most respected and long-serving central bankers. He
has extensive experience in monetary policy management, and in banking and financial
regulation and supervision. He has been at the forefront of efforts to address and resolve the
financial crisis that began in 2007 and the subsequent European sovereign debt crisis.
As well as for his profound knowledge of monetary and financial matters, Governor Noyer is
known for the extremely courteous and careful way in which he always expresses his
opinions and even his most serious disagreements.
I am sure, ladies and gentlemen, that you are going to enjoy and benefit from the quality,
both in substance and in form, of the address that Governor Noyer is about to give.
Ladies and gentlemen, thank you very much.