Mervyn King has been named as the next President of MCC. He will serve a 12-month term as President, taking up the post on 1 October 2024.
His appointment was announced by the current President, Mark Nicholas, at the Club’s Annual General Meeting held today.
Lord King of Lothbury is an economist who was Governor of the Bank of England for a decade between 2003 and 2013, following which he entered the House of Lords having been made a life peer. He was appointed by Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II as a Knight of the Garter in 2014.
Elected as a Member of MCC in 2003, Lord King’s lifelong passion for cricket was first nurtured as a boy watching Worcestershire at New Road. He went on to become President of the county club in 2015.
He co-founded Chance to Shine in 2005, along with Nicholas and the late Duncan Fearnley, to reinvigorate state school cricket and ensure that all children are given the opportunity to play the sport. The charity has gone on to make a huge impact on the lives of young people through cricket, with over 6 million children having taken part in their programmes.
Away from finance and cricket, Lord King is Chair of the Philharmonia Orchestra.
“It is an extraordinary honour to be asked by our current president to serve as the next President of MCC"
Lord King said of his appointment: “It is an extraordinary honour to be asked by our current President to serve as the next President of MCC. I look forward to serving the Club and to promote the interests of our Members and of the game so many of us love.”
MCC President Mark Nicholas said: “There are few better people to fulfil the role of MCC President. Mervyn’s love of cricket knows no boundary; indeed, his love of sport extends to an equally enthusiastic enjoyment of both football and tennis.
"His calm authority and considerable wisdom carried the country through the global financial crisis of 2008 and now I feel sure that he will bring the MCC membership with him through a time of great interest and opportunity at the Club.
“Together we founded Chance to Shine in 2005. Since then, more than 6 million children, who would most likely not have played cricket have had the chance to do so. This makes us both so very proud. I can’t wait to stand alongside him again.”
Today’s Annual General Meeting at Lord’s was held in a hybrid format, with Members attending in person as well as online.