New Zealand’s Central Bank Chief Breman Overhauls Top Leadership

The Reserve Bank of New Zealand is recruiting two assistant governors and a chief of staff as Governor Anna Breman overhauls the central bank’s senior ranks almost a year into the job.

The newly created assistant governor roles — for monetary policy and payments and cash — follow the previously announced departure of Assistant Governor Karen Silk, who will leave the bank in mid-December.

Breman used the vacancy to review the shape of the executive leadership team, the RBNZ said in a statement in Wellington on Thursday.

“These will be two of the RBNZ’s most senior and visible leadership roles,” she said. “Strong leadership in monetary policy, reserve management, payments and cash is critical to maintaining confidence in our financial system.”

The shake-up comes almost a year after Breman, formerly deputy governor at Sweden’s Riksbank, took over as RBNZ chief. Her appointment followed a tumultuous time at the central bank, which saw former Governor Adrian Orr abruptly quit in March 2025 and his deputy Christian Hawkesby depart after he missed out on the top job, having stood in as governor in the interim.

Read more: RBNZ Assistant Governor Karen Silk to Step Down in December

The RBNZ has hired executive search firm Heidrick & Struggles for the recruitment process and appointment of both assistant governor roles. The chief of staff role will be handled directly by the central bank.

Silk joined the RBNZ in 2022 after a lengthy banking career with Westpac, and most recently was assistant governor for money, responsible for a range of functions including financial markets operations and economics.