Afua Kyei is an accomplished and impactful senior finance executive at the Bank of England. She has indeed led the 2026 Powerlist, gaining recognition as the most influential black Briton in the UK. The annual Powerlist started in 2007. Its intended outcome is to showcase positive figures for young black men and women, and encourage them to pursue their dreams in all fields and industries.
Kyei’s remarkable journey began when her parents moved from Ghana to the UK at the age of 18 to further their education. Her mother trained as a midwife and served the NHS for more than 40 years of her life. That childhood experience left Kyei with an unshakeable sense of mission. She brings these values of community service with her into her professional life.
After studying chemistry at Oxford University, Kyei took an interest in economic development. He later won a junior research fellowship at Princeton University from where he went into organic chemistry. Her knowledge and leadership skills immediately impressed Mark Carney, the then Governor of the Bank of England. So he made the decision to hire her and bring her into the institution. At just 43 years old, she assumes control of the Bank’s historic £1 trillion balance sheet. Besides this, she spearheads cutting-edge funding reforms.
Topping the newly released Powerlist, Kyei succeeds Dean Forbes and shared her appreciation for this honor. Receiving this honor, she said, was “incredibly humbling.” She’s deeply committed to encouraging young people to pursue careers in banking.
“You don’t need to be a mathematician, you don’t need to be an accountant and you don’t need to be an economist. What we’re looking for is fresh perspectives and we want the best people,” – Afua Kyei.
Beyond her professional accomplishments, Kyei is dedicated to uplifting working families. She hasn’t been shy about pointing out the absence of women sitting in those leadership roles who are taking care of their families.
“I didn’t see so many women in big leadership roles who had families and I know that there are lots of women who think that they need to choose between work and having a family,” – Afua Kyei.
Kyei noted pride in her organization’s focus on creating an atmosphere that values and supports working parents.
“What I love about the Bank of England is that we really support working families and working parents,” – Afua Kyei.
Michael Eboda, founder of the Powerlist, noted a major change in the seat of power within British society.
“Over the last 20 years we’ve seen more influencers from the private sector as opposed to the public sector and that’s a great story of success in Britain,” – Michael Eboda.