China is already testing digital yuan in some cities. In Ecuador, Bitcoin was introduced as legal tender alongside the US dollar, sparking protests and fears of instability. The House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee released a report in January 2022 which suggested that digital currency could be a ‘solution in search of a problem’, questioning whether there is a convincing enough case for introducing it in the UK.

This panel will discuss the implications of digital currency and what it might mean for the North.

If you would like to book tickets for this event individually, rather than the conference as a whole, please email boxoffice@bradfordlitfest.co.uk

About The Speakers

Black and white picture of Natasha de Téran reclining on a sofa

Natasha de Terán

Natasha de Terán believes passionately in the importance of making finance understandable. A former journalist, she has written for publications such as the Wall Street Journal, The Times, Financial Times and Money Week. Previously the head of corporate affairs at Swift, she is a Non-Resident Scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and sits on the UK Payment Systems Regulator and Financial Services Consumer Panels. 

Andy Haldane

Andrew Haldane was formerly Chief Economist at the Bank of England and a member of the Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee. Among other positions, he is Honorary Professor at the Universities of Nottingham and Manchester, Visiting Professor at King’s College, London, a Visiting Fellow at Nuffield College, Oxford and a Fellow of the Royal Society and the Academy of Social Sciences. He has authored around 200 articles and 4 books.

 

Andrew is Founder of the charity Pro Bono Economics, Vice-Chair of the charity National Numeracy, Co-Chair of the City of London Task-Force on Social Mobility and Chair of the National Numeracy Leadership Council.

 

Headshot of Ismail Amla

Ismail Amla

Ismail serves as EVP at NCR Corporation responsible for the strategic direction & execution of NCR’s Global PS business. His team delivers Technology Strategy Consulting for Banking, Retail & Hospitality sectors and Technology implementation services.

Prior to this Ismail served as CGO for Capita Plc, UK, Managing Partner for IBM & CEO for Capco, USA and a senior Partner for Accenture & member of the Accenture UK leadership team.

Ismail is a non-executive board member for Network Rail and UK Sports and has co-authored a book, “From Incremental to Exponential: How Large Companies Can See the Future and Rethink Innovation.”

Shiv Chowla

Shiv Chowla is a Senior Manager at the Bank of England with responsibility for its strategy and economics work around Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC). He was previously Private Secretary (Chief of Staff) to the Bank’s Chief Economist, delivering research on a wide variety of economic topics and acting as a monetary policy advisor. Shiv also has extensive experience in macroeconomic forecasting and scenario design from prior roles. Shiv studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) at the University of Oxford before completing a Masters in Economics at the London School of Economics.