The race to succeed Andrea Enria as the head of the European Central Bank’s (ECB) oversight arm has narrowed to two female candidates as Central Bank of Ireland’s Sharon Donnery seemingly chose not to apply for the position, according to people familiar with the matter.
Bundesbank vice-president Claudia Buch and Bank of Spain deputy governor Margarita Delgado are the only names on a shortlist the ECB Governing Council is sending to European Parliament lawmakers on Wednesday, the people said. They declined to be identified because talks on the matter are confidential.
Bloomberg reported earlier this year that Ms Buch, Ms Delgado and Ms Donnery, a deputy governor at the Central Bank of Ireland, were viewed as strong potential candidates.
Ms Donnery opted not to apply for the position, according to people familiar with the matter.
An ECB spokesperson declined to comment on the hiring process. German bisiness newspaper reported earlier that Ms Buch and Ms Delgado were the last remaining candidates.
The chair of the ECB Supervisory Board is the eurozone’s most senior regulator, directly overseeing the bloc’s major banks, and endowed with a powerful voice to help shape rules that determine the industry’s structure.
Whoever gets the job will contend with potential fallout from rising interest rates, as well as bankers seeking to boost shareholder payouts to lift stock prices that have been battered since the 2008 financial crisis.
