Afua Kyei, chief financial officer at the Bank of England, has been named the UK’s most influential black person in the 2026 Powerlist. The 43-year-old oversees the financial governance of the Bank’s £1 trillion balance sheet and plays a key role in major funding reforms. The Powerlist celebrates individuals of African, African Caribbean, and African American heritage who are shaping British society.
Kyei, who joined the Bank in 2019 after a senior role at Barclays, described the recognition as “deeply humbling.” She praised the Bank’s support for working parents, saying she hopes to inspire more women balancing leadership and family life. A chemistry graduate from Oxford with a fellowship from Princeton, she previously worked in investment banking during the global financial crisis.
Born to Ghanaian parents who came to the UK for university, Kyei credits her mother, a midwife of 40 years, and her father, who worked in the oil industry, for instilling strong values. She says she wants young people to see banking as accessible, adding, “You don’t need to be a mathematician or economist – we need people with fresh perspectives.”
Kyei replaces tech entrepreneur Dean Forbes at the top of the list. Other notable names include broadcaster Ian Wright, make-up artist Dame Pat McGrath, actor Idris Elba, and Microsoft’s Pamela Maynard.
