Christian Noyer
Christian Noyer has been Governor of the Banque de France since November 2003. In November 2009, he was reappointed for a second six-year term. He is a member of the Governing Council and General Council of the European Central Bank (ECB).
Christian Noyer was born on 6 October 1950 in Soisy-sous-Montmorency, near Paris. He studied law and subsequently graduated from the Institut d’études politiques de Paris and the École nationale d’administration.
Appointed to the Treasury in the Ministry of the Economy and Finance in 1976, he then spent two years (1980-1982) at France’s permanent representation to the European Communities in Brussels. Back at the Treasury, he held a range of posts (government cash and debt management, banking affairs, financing of industry and state-owned enterprises, multilateral issues and export financing). He was appointed Head of the Treasury in 1993. At the same time, he worked closely with several Ministers of Finance: he was Advisor to Edouard Balladur (1986-1988), and Chief of Staff for two other Ministers of Finance, Edmond Alphandéry and Jean Arthuis (1993 and 1995-1997 respectively). He was appointed Vice-President of the European Central Bank when the institution was set up in 1998.
Christian Noyer is Chairman of the Autorité de contrôle prudentiel (ACP – the French Prudential Supervision Authority), the Banking Mediation Committee, the Observatory for Payment Card Security and the regulated savings Observatory. He also chairs the supervisory boards of the Institut d’émission des départements d’Outre-Mer (IEOM – the French overseas departments note-issuing bank) and the Institut d’émission d’Outre-Mer (IEOM – the French overseas note-issuing bank).
Christian Noyer is also chairman of the Bank for International Settlements, for a period of three years, commencing on 7 March 2010, and alternate Governor at the International Monetary Fund.
He has been awarded the honours of Officier de la Légion d’Honneur and Chevalier de l’Ordre National du Mérite in France, and has received decorations from several other countries, notable the Gran Cruz de la Ordén del Mérito Civil from Spain, the Ordre National du Lion from Senegal and Officier de l’Ordre National de la valeur from Cameroun.