· 5 min read
People in the News
Astrid Mitchell
· Editor
- Economist and financier Kevin Warsh has been confirmed as the new Chair of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, succeeding Jerome Powell, whose tenure over the past year has been marked by clashes with President Trump. The confirmation of the new chairman took place on 13 May, with a divisive 54-45 vote in the Senate, split along party lines. The appointment marks a return for the new Chair, who became the youngest member of the Board in 2006 at the age of 35, leaving five years later.
- The new Governor of the Central Bank of Syria is Safwat Raslan, formerly head of the Syrian Development Fund. He replaces Abdelkader Husriyeh, who was appointed last year, and who has been named as ambassador to Canada.
- President Emmanuel Macron’s former chief of staff, Emmanuel Moulin, has been confirmed as the next Governor of Banque de France. Moulin began his career at the World Bank, before going on to become an adviser to President Nicolas Sarkozy. He takes over from François Villeroy de Galhau, who announced in February that he would be stepping down early.
- The Bank for International Settlements’ former top economist, Hyun Song Shin, has been appointed as Governor of the Bank of Korea. He replaces Rhee Chang-yong.
- The revolving door at the Bank of South Sudan continues with the removal of Yeni Samuel Costa as Governor, just months after he succeeded Addis Ababa Othow. He in turn, had been in the position only five months. The latest dismissal marks the eighth change of governor since 2020.
- Mark Gould, Chief Payments Executive at Federal Reserve Financial Services, has announced that he is retiring after a 35-year career with the organisation. He has led a variety of functions during his time at the Fed, largely at the intersection of payments, technology, strategy, and operations, having served as CIO, COO, and interim CEO for the San Francisco Fed, and led the Fed System’s national cash business. He has been Chief Payment Executive, the Fed’s first, for the last five years. He will continue to lead the Fed’s payments business until the search for his successor is complete later this year.
- Patty Solimene (Collins), Director of the US Bureau of Engraving and Printing, who was appointed in 2024 as the first women to head the organisation, has left, reportedly due to raising objections to a proposed $250 bill featuring President Donald Trump.
- Julia Knapitsch has joined he Austrian banknote printer Oesterreichische Banknoten und Sicherheitsdruck (OeBS) as Commercial Managing Director. Alongside his role as Executive Board Director of Münze Österreich (the Austrian Mint), Dr Manfred Matzinger-Leopold has assumed the position of OeBS’ Technical Managing Director, succeeding Dr Matthias Schroth.
- Ananta Hegde has been recommended for appointment as the new Managing Director of Bank Note Paper Mill India Private Limited (BNPMIPL). The recommendation was published through the Bharatiya Reserve Bank Note Mudran Private Limited portal. BNPMIPL, located in Mysuru, Karnataka, is a joint venture between BRBNMPL and Security Printing and Minting Corporate of India Ltd (SPMCIL). A well-known industry professional, Hegde currently serves as General Manager (Technical) at BNPMIPL. He is set to succeed Thalikerappa S, who has served as Managing Director since 2022.
- SPMCIL has moved a step closer to appointing a new Director (Technical), with the Search-cum-Selection Committee (SCSC) recommending Shashidhar Nimbakkanavar, currently serving as Chief General Manager (Mechanical) at National Mineral Development Corporation, for the post. The position has remained vacant since Ajai Srivastava retired in March 2021.
- Daniel Schwarzbach (formerly of Orell Fussli), has joined Gleitsmann Security Inks as interim Director, Strategy and Business Development.
- Antonia Condon has been appointed as Head of Marketing at SICPA. She was previously Senior Manager for Marketing Operations.
- Ben Thorpe, former Managing Director for Glory in Asia-Pacific with responsibility for sales, service and support operations across the region, has been promoted to Chief Strategy Office for the group, with responsibility for all Glory’s international businesses.
- Dieter Sauter, Vice President & General Manager Value Printing at Bundesdruckerei, has moved to OVD Kinegram as Managing Director, replacing Orlando Hirt who is retiring. His successor at Bundesdruckerei is Elisabeth (Lisa) Limbacher, who joined the organisation six years ago, and who has also held senior positions with Orell Füssli Security Printing and Giesecke+Devrient. Meanwhile Martina Koederitz will take over as Chairman of the Supervisory Boards of Bundesdruckerei Gruppe GmbH and Bundesdruckerei GmbH. She succeeds Dr Kai Beckmann. She was previously responsible for IBM’s business in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, is a member of the Board of Robert Bosch, and a proven expert in the field of digitalisation.
- Spencer Mandy, formerly Vice President, Currency and Excise Control at Canadian Bank Note Company, has been appointed Chief Operating Officer, International. In this role, Spencer will lead global teams delivering mission critical solutions to central banks and governments worldwide. He will oversee the company’s portfolio of secure systems and products across key domains including Border Control, Driver & Vehicle Solutions, Civil Identity, Digital Identity, Banknote, and Excise Control.
- Kushal Joshipura has joined Crane Currency as Vice President of Operations. He brings more than two decades of experience leading global operations across complex, regulated industries, with a background spanning healthcare, advanced engineering, and large-scale manufacturing. In his new role, he will lead operations across Crane Currency’s five global manufacturing sites, develop and execute the company’s global operations strategy, and oversee capital investments to support future growth. It is also reported that Dr Aleta Richards, who joined Crane Currency in 2024 as President, has left the company.
- Richard Collocott has been appointed as Managing Director of the South African Mint, replacing Lisiwe Mda. He was formerly Managing Director of Prestige Bullion, a joint venture between SAM and Rand Refinery that ensures global access to South Africa’s range of bullion coins.
- MKS PAMP, precious metals refiner and fabricator, has appointed Lionel Leconte to the position of Head of Sales, Mints. He was previously with the East India Company and, prior to that, spent seven years at Monnaie de Paris.
- Raj Singh has been appointed Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Diebold Nixdorf, replacing Tereas Ostapower. He previously served as VP and CIO at Viesteon Corp, leading IT transformation and cybersecurity, and will report to Diebold Nixdorf President and CEO, Octavio Marquez.
- Jonathan Garside, formerly at Oberthur Fiduciaire, has taken up the role of VP Sales, Currency and Security Print, at Authentix.
- The Centrale Bank van Aruba (CBA) has announced the appointment of Thomas Domhoff as President. A native of Curaçao, he replaces Jeanette Semeleer, who is retiring after serving for 18 years as the Bank’s first female President.
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