DR. BRIAN LANGRIN APPOINTED GOVERNOR OF THE BANK OF JAMAICA SUCCEEDING OUTGOING GOVERNOR RICHARD BYLES

­­­­­­­­­­­­Kingston, Jamaica: Monday, August 17, 2026

The Minister of Finance and the Public Service is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. R. Brian Langrin as Governor of the Bank of Jamaica, effective Wednesday, August 19, 2026. Dr. Langrin will succeed Mr. Richard Byles, whose term concludes on Tuesday, August 18, 2026. The appointment is made by the Governor-General in Council.

The appointment follows a selection process led by a Search Committee established in April 2026, which assessed a strong field of local and international candidates.

Dr. Langrin brings more than two decades of leadership across central banking, financial stability and multilateral development institutions, with a reputation for strengthening institutions, modernising financial systems and advancing data-driven policy. At the Bank of Jamaica he has held senior leadership roles in financial stability and economic research and he has served as a Financial Stability Adviser at the Caribbean Regional Technical Assistance Centre (CARTAC), the IMF-administered regional body, advising central banks across the region.

He holds a PhD in Economics from Pennsylvania State University, Pennsylvania, USA and has published extensively on financial stability and monetary policy. Dr. Langrin is married and the proud father of three children.

Minister of Finance and the Public Service, the Honourable Fayval Williams, welcomed the appointment, stating: “Dr. Brian Langrin is a forward-looking leader whose experience spans Jamaica, the Caribbean and the wider international development community. His deep understanding of monetary policy, financial stability, innovation, regional partnerships and international cooperation will serve Jamaica well as we navigate a rapidly changing global economy. The Government reaffirms its full commitment to the independence of the Bank of Jamaica and to the continuity of the sound monetary and financial policies that have anchored our economic stability.”

Dr. Langrin expressed his commitment to the role, stating: “It is an honour to serve Jamaica at this pivotal moment. I look forward to working with the BOJ team, the financial sector and our regional and international partners to strengthen monetary and financial stability, deepen resilience and support Jamaica’s long-term development. I am committed to preserving the Bank’s hard-won credibility and independence, to keeping inflation low and stable, and to advancing the modernisation of our financial system for the benefit of every Jamaican.”

Tribute to Outgoing Governor Richard Byles

Dr. Langrin succeeds Mr. Richard Byles, who has served as Governor of the Bank of Jamaica since August 2019. Over seven years, Mr. Byles steered monetary policy through some of the most testing conditions in a generation, these include the economic shock of the COVID-19 pandemic and the global surge in inflation that followed, Hurricane Beryl (2024), the devastating category 5 Hurricane Melissa (2025), the Middle East war and the resulting oil shock (2026). Under his

stewardship, the Bank entrenched its formal inflation-targeting framework, returned inflation toward its target range, and preserved the stability of the financial system throughout. His tenure also saw the Bank assume its full statutory independence under the Bank of Jamaica (Amendment) Act, 2020, and pioneer JAM-DEX, making Jamaica one of the first countries in the world to issue a central bank digital currency.

“On behalf of the Government and people of Jamaica, I thank Mr. Byles for his distinguished and consequential service,” said Minister Williams. “He guided the nation’s monetary policy with a steady hand through extraordinary times and leaves the Bank stronger and more independent than he found it. He leaves a legacy of stability on which Dr. Langrin will build.”