Bank of Canada hires former Merrill Lynch economist as advisor

TORONTO (Reuters) - The Bank of Canada has hired former Merrill Lynch economist Sheryl King as an advisor who will represent the central bank in its New York office, it said on Thursday.

King will report to Deputy Governor Lynn Patterson and work closely with the Consulate General of Canada in New York, the Bank of Canada said in a statement.

"Ms. King will promote and strengthen ties between the Bank of Canada and New York's financial and economic communities, with an emphasis on financial market and financial stability developments," it said.

Earlier in her career, King spent eight years at the Bank of Canada, first as an economist and later as an analyst in the central bank's financial markets department, according to the bank.

King said in the statement she would advise the bank's governor on global market issues and contribute to work on market stability and monetary policy.

King joined Merrill Lynch in New York in 2004. She later became the chief economist and strategist at their Canadian unit in Toronto. Since 2014, she has worked for Roubini Global Economics.

She will serve as a member of the Bank of Canada's Monetary Policy Review and Financial System Review committees.

(Reporting by Fergal Smith in Toronto; Editing by Andrew Hay)