The Lord O'Brien of Lothbury | |
|---|---|
 Portrait by Walter Bird, 1967 | |
| Governor of the Bank of England | |
| In office 1 July 1966 – 30 June 1973 | |
| Preceded by | The Earl of Cromer |
| Succeeded by | Gordon Richardson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Leslie Kenneth O'Brien 8 February 1908 Dulwich, London |
| Died | 24 November 1995 (aged 87) Redhill, Surrey, England |
| Resting place | Tandridge, Surrey, England |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | Banker |
Leslie Kenneth O'Brien, Baron O'Brien of Lothbury GBE PC (8 February 1908 – 24 November 1995) was Governor of the Bank of England.
After attending Wandsworth Grammar School in London, he joined the Bank of England in 1927 and rose through the ranks, becoming chief cashier in 1955, deputy governor in 1966, before serving as governor from 1966 until 1973.[1] As governor, O'Brien presided over the devaluation of the pound in 1967.
He became a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire in 1967[2] and was appointed to the Privy Council in 1970.[3] Following his retirement as governor in 1973 he was created a life peer as Baron O'Brien of Lothbury, of the City of London.[4]
He married firstly Isabelle Pickett (1908–1987) in 1932, and secondly Marjorie Taylor (born 1923) in 1989. He died in Tandridge, Surrey, in 1995.
- ^ Who Was Who 1991-1995. A & C Black, London. 1996. ISBN 0-7136-4496-6.
- ^ "No. 44210". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 December 1966. p. 10.
- ^ "No. 44999". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 December 1969. p. 1.
- ^ "No. 45930". The London Gazette. 16 March 1973. p. 3513.