Standard & Poor's Ratings Services Announces New Organization Structure

NEW YORK, Dec. 8, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Standard & Poor's Ratings Services, a unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies, today announced a new organization structure to accelerate growth through excellence in ratings, service and operations.  The changes are effective immediately.

"As we look forward to 2012, these organizational changes will better position us to drive growth in developed and emerging markets and to create new products and services," said Douglas L. Peterson, President, Standard & Poor's Ratings Services.  "The new structure builds on our many strengths and will enable us to collaborate more effectively with colleagues across teams and with S&P Capital IQ as part of McGraw-Hill's Growth and Value Plan."

Standard & Poor's Ratings Services organization structure will include an Executive Committee that will be responsible for the ratings business, strategy, regulatory and policy outreach, investment and talent.  Members of the Executive Committee, their titles and cities where they are based, are:

• Douglas L. Peterson, President (New York)
• Yu-Tsung Chang, Executive Managing Director, Asia-Pacific Ratings Services (Tokyo)
• Paul A. Coughlin, Executive Managing Director, Global Analytics & Operations (New York)
• James C. Daly, Jr., Vice President, Human Resources (New York)
• Christian M. Dinwoodie, Executive Managing Director, Market Development (London)
• Yann Le Pallec, Executive Managing Director, EMEA Ratings Services (Paris)
• Catherine J. Mathis, Senior Vice President, Marketing & Communications (New York)
• Adam H. Schuman, Executive Managing Director and Chief Legal Officer (New York)
• Joseph D. Sniado, Senior Vice President, Chief Information Officer (New York)
• John C. Weisenseel, Senior Vice President, Finance (New York)

In addition, searches are underway for two Executive Committee positions − a Chief Economist and Chief Risk Officer.

As part of the organizational change, Mr. Coughlin, who had been Executive Managing Director, Corporate & Government Ratings, has been named Executive Managing Director, Global Analytics & Operations.  He will coordinate global management of the analytical units and have direct responsibility for the ratings business, including corporate, financial services, government and structured finance in the Americas.  During a transition period, he will oversee the Structured Finance Groups worldwide.  David Jacob, who had been the Global Head of Structured Finance, will be leaving Standard & Poor's Ratings Services at the end of the year.

"I want to thank David for the many contributions he has made since coming out of retirement in 2008 to join us," Mr. Peterson said. "His extraordinary knowledge of the securitization markets and his leadership during a challenging period have been valuable to us.  We wish him the very best in his new endeavors."

Mr. Le Pallec, Managing Director, Corporate and Government Ratings for Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), has been named Executive Managing Director, EMEA with responsibility for the ratings business in these important regions.

Mr. Dinwoodie, Managing Director, Corporate Ratings, has been named Executive Managing Director, Market Development, a new global role based in London.  He will be responsible for outreach and service for investors and other market participants, strategic planning, and merger and acquisition activities.  

Mr. Sniado, Chief Technology Officer, has been named Senior Vice President, Chief Information Officer with an expanded portfolio of responsibilities, including Operational Performance and Data Strategy & Operations. 

Mark H. Adelson, who most recently served as Chief Credit Officer and was instrumental in strengthening the firm's criteria process, has been named Senior Research Fellow.  Mr. Adelson will lead critical new research projects as part of an expanded thought leadership initiative.  Ian D. Thompson, Managing Director, Chief Credit Officer, Asia-Pacific, has been appointed Senior Managing Director, Chief Credit Officer with global responsibility.  

Standard & Poor's Ratings Services, a unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP), is the world's foremost provider of credit ratings.  With offices in 23 countries, Standard & Poor's is an important part of the world's financial infrastructure and has played a leading role for more than 150 years in providing investors with information and independent benchmarks for their investment and financial decisions. For more information, visit http://www.standardandpoors.com.

SOURCE Standard & Poor's