New Zealand is set to appoint a woman to head its central bank for the first time and could announce the decision as early as Wednesday, according to a report by Bloomberg News, citing an unidentified person familiar with the matter. The report did not name the new governor of the RBN but said the appointee could be a foreigner. The RBNZ declined to comment. The new governor will not take charge before the next interest rate decision on October 8, with their term expected to begin toward the end of the year. The appointment of a woman from overseas is unexpected, with speculation previously centering on Orr’s deputy and interim governor, Christian Hawkesby, and Auckland economics professor Prasanna Gai, who sits on the Monetary Policy Committee as an external member. Separately, Finance Minister Nicola Willis’ office said that the government will make an announcement related to the RBNZ on Wednesday, as markets await the appointment of a new central bank governor, Reuters reported.