became the basis for the green revolution that he started in mexico and that ended up feeding billions of people around the world. well, i think by now you know that the boy i ’ m speaking of is me. i may be the only central banker on the planet whose little league baseball coach went on to win the nobel peace prize! my fondest childhood memories are from mexico. small wonder that i delighted when president clinton asked me to become deputy u. s. trade representative and help implement nafta – even if it meant matching wits with formidable negotiators like luis de la calle and herminio blanco! small wonder that as president of the federal reserve bank of dallas, i have delighted in working closely with guillermo ortiz and agustin carstens. small wonder that at meetings of the federal open market committee or in u. s. banking circles, i have often argued mexico ’ s case. or taken sheer pleasure in pointing out to u. s. congressmen and senators, and in speeches and media interviews, that the mexican government – unlike my own government – actually can agree on a budget, keep deficits under control, bring about structural change and resist interfering with the workings of an independent central bank. bis central bankers ’ speeches i am full of pride for mexico. i am full of pride that this country, the country of my happiest childhood years, would now choose to honor me with the order of the aztec eagle. the citation for this honor speaks of my being a fierce defender of price stability. in the parlance of central banking, i am referred to as a “ hawk. ” well, it may not surprise you to learn that taxonomists place the eagle and the hawk in the same bird family. so, secretary meade, secretary videgaray and dear friend agustin, i accept this thoughtful honor from the president of the country i love so much with hawkish pride and close kinship to the golden eagle that is the symbol of mexico. ¡ viva mexico! thank you. bis central bankers ’ speeches

and are supported when undertaking new and innovative work. inclusion fortnight, with 21 events over ten days across three sites, attended by almost 1700 people is the latest example of this commitment. all speeches are available online at www. bankofengland. co. uk / speeches an inclusive culture is essential to realise the benefits of our aim to be ‘ one bank ’. we are working to create a more agile work environment, which encourages cross - disciplinary and cross - team working further supporting the development of new ideas and approaches. we are encouraging innovative thinking through our research hub, where people have collaborated with colleagues across the bank and externally on over 50 projects. meanwhile, our research away days and one bank flagship seminar series expose policy and decision makers to different ideas ; from sportspersons to philosophers, and economists to psychologists. our seminars are broadcast externally so that others can benefit from this diverse knowledge. to empower colleagues, we have implemented an ‘ author in the room ’ policy so that expert staff can attend senior - level meetings and explain their papers in person and challenge conventional wisdom. our bank underground blog, launched in 2015, enables colleagues to share their diverse opinions outside the bank ’ s four walls. 400, 000 people viewed the blog last year. over the same period, its followers and subscribers increased by 60 %. our staff are reaping the benefits of these inclusion and transparency initiatives. two thirds feel encouraged to try new ideas, three quarters believe that their manager acts on people ’ s suggestions and ideas, and 60 % feel comfortable speaking up on important issues. we have improved on all of these measures since just a year ago. xxiii but we also need to do more. to get the most out of a diverse workforce, we also need to ensure people can bring their best to work and feel supported. our wellbeing programme promotes mental and physical wellbeing with staff counsellors, discounted gym - memberships, a cycle to work scheme, working life seminars and flexible leave options. an inclusive culture recognises that work can be done in many ways ; and that our best ideas can occur at any time and in any place. xxiv 11 % of our staff are employed on a formalised flexible working arrangement, including remote working. in our most recent survey, two thirds of people agreed that there was a good balance between their work and their personal life. our broader leadership training programme emphasises unconscious bias training to ensure diversity can flourish and progress. this training is part