Rupert Pennant-Rea

Rupert Lascelles Pennant-Rea, born 23 January 1948, is a British businessman, journalist, and former Deputy Governor of the Bank of England.

Pennant-Rea was educated at Peterhouse School, near to Marondera, Zimbabwe, before attending Trinity College, Dublin and Manchester University, where he received his M.A.

He joined the Bank of England in 1973 and remained till 1977, when he left to work for "The Economist" magazine. He was the magazine's editor from 1986 till 1993.

Between 1993 and 1995, he again joined the Bank of England as Deputy Governor of the bank, under the governorship of Edward George. Mr. Pennant-Rea resigned following reports about an extramarital affair with a former colleague, journalist Mary Ellen Synon. News reports said, among other things, that Mr. Pennant-Rea arranged for Synon to gain access to the bank using a false name.

Rupert Pennant-Rea has been chairman of the British Stationery Office since its privatisation in 1996. In 1994 he became a member of the influential Washington-based financial advisory body, the Group of Thirty. Since 1998, he has also been a British American Tobacco director.