Former Goldman Sachs chair to join Department for Education
FORMER Goldman Sachs Asset Management chairman Jim O’Neill has been drafted in to work alongside Michael Gove as a Department for Education (DfE) non-executive director.
O’Neill, who is famed for coining the Bric term for developing nations Brazil, Russia, India and China, will take up the post in September, the department stated last night.
The economist left Goldman in April and was tipped as a possible Bank of England governor.
The 56-year-old Mancunian is also well-known for his love of Manchester United football team and was one of the Red Knights consortium that tried to buy it.
O’Neill has already experienced the field of education through his part in founding Shine, a charity supporting educational projects for disadvantaged children.
In an opinion piece about his concerns over cuts in education spending he wrote: “Yes, charities have a responsibility here and we are willingly stepping up and doing our bit… But the voluntary sector is not a proxy for government – we cannot do it all.”