Atsi Sheth Managing Director, Global Head of Strategy & Research Moody's Investors Service

Atsi Sheth is Managing Director and Global Head, Credit Strategy and Research.

Moody’s Credit Strategy & Research group includes global teams focused on Macroeconomic Research, Default & Ratings Analytics and Global Emerging Markets as well as regional credit strategy teams each focused on Asia-Pacific, the Americas, and EMEA.

Together these teams establish and articulate Moody’s house views on the trends that drive risk across countries, sectors and asset classes. They undertake in depth data driven analysis and leverage the expertise of ratings and research analysts across Moody’s to generate global, regional and sector insights on macro-economic, political, policy, technology and environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks.

In her capacity leading the group, Atsi also serves as a spokesperson on Moody’s analytic views, engaging with investors, the media and a wide range of public and private sector stakeholders.

Atsi is a long-time champion of Moody’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) as well as our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives. She serves as co-chair of the CSR Thought Leadership & Solutions working group and the Senior Advisor to Moody’s Asian Leadership Initiative - a Multicultural Business Resource Group.

Prior to her current role, Atsi was Moody’s Chief Credit Officer for the Americas and before that Managing Director in Moody’s Sovereign Risk Group. She has also served as Chief Economist at Reliance Capital and taught courses on International Political Economy and Emerging Markets at Columbia University and Northwestern University. Atsi has a PhD from Northwestern University and a B.A. from Bombay University.

Mark Zandi Chief Economist Moody's Analytics

Mark M. Zandi is chief economist of Moody’s Analytics, where he directs economic research. Moody’s Analytics, a subsidiary of Moody’s Corp., is a leading provider of economic research, data and analytical tools. Dr. Zandi is a co founder of the company Economy.com, which Moody’s purchased in 2005.

Dr. Zandi’s broad research interests encompass macroeconomics, financial market sand public policy. His recent research has focused on mortgage finance reform and the determinants of mortgage foreclosure and personal bankruptcy. He has analyzed the economic impact of various tax and government spending policies and assessed the appropriate monetary policy response to bubbles in asset markets.

A trusted adviser to policymakers and an influential source of economic analysis for businesses, journalists and the public, Dr. Zandi frequently testifies before Congress on topics including the economic outlook, the nation’s daunting fiscal challenges, the merits of fiscal stimulus, financial regulatory reform, and foreclosure mitigation.

Dr. Zandi conducts regular briefings on the economy for corporate boards, trade associations and policymakers at all levels. He is on the board of directors of MGIC, the nation’s largest private mortgage insurance company, and The Reinvestment Fund, a large CDFI that makes investments in disadvantaged neighborhoods. He is often quoted in national and global publications and interviewed by major news media outlets, and is a frequent guest on CNBC, NPR, Meet the Press, CNN, and various other national networks and news programs.

Dr. Zandi is the author of Paying the Price: Ending the Great Recession and Beginning a New American Century, which provides an assessment of the monetary and fiscal policy response to the Great Recession. His other book, Financial Shock: A 360º Look at the Subprime Mortgage Implosion, and How to Avoid the Next Financial Crisis, is described by the New York Times as the “clearest guide” to the financial crisis.

Dr. Zandi earned his B.S. from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and his PhD at the University of Pennsylvania. He lives with his wife and three children in the suburbs of Philadelphia.

Nick Samuels SVP - Senior Credit Officer, States and High Profile Ratings Team Moody's Investors Service

Nick Samuels is a Senior Vice President for the States and High Profile Ratings Team covering credits for the state of Texas, New York City, and the District of Columbia.

Prior to joining Moody’s, Nick worked for the National Association of State Budget Officers analyzing state fiscal and expenditure trends. Nick holds a BA degree in government from Skidmore College and a Master’s in Public Administration from the George Washington University.

Brad Lander Comptroller New York City

Comptroller Brad Lander serves as New York City’s chief financial officer, leading an office of roughly 800 public servants in their work to promote the financial health, integrity, and effectiveness of city government and secure a more thriving and sustainable future for all New Yorkers.

As investment advisor and custodian for the City’s public pension funds, Comptroller Lander stewards the retirement security of over 750,000 current and retired public sector workers, with a prudent, diversified, long-term approach to the City’s investments and obligations. Under Comptroller Lander's leadership, three of the City’s funds have adopted a detailed plan to reach net zero emissions by 2040, among the most aggressive in the nation. The plan includes divesting from fossil fuels, engaging asset managers and portfolio companies toward decarbonization across the economy, and dramatically scaling up investments in climate solutions.

Comptroller Lander serves as the City’s budget watchdog and chief accountability officer. His audits revealed nearly a quarter of a billion dollars underreported in NYC Ferry expenditures, inadequate cost controls in Covid-19 emergency procurement, and the ineffectiveness of the City’s homeless sweeps.

Comptroller Lander’s team published the first detailed report on emergency shelter costs for asylum seekers and identified more effective strategies for addressing the humanitarian crisis. The office launched the Department of Correction Dashboard to provide much-needed transparency into City jails. And his initiative with Mayor Eric Adams to pay nonprofit human service providers on time has reduced nearly year-long payment delays. As Comptroller, Lander has strengthened the office’s efforts to combat the climate crisis, create and preserve affordable housing, and protect workers. His Public Solar NYC plan includes an innovative “public option” to scale up rooftop solar and create good green jobs. Under his leadership, the NYC pension funds led shareholder advocacy through which a majority of Starbucks investors voted for an independent review of the company’s labor and human rights policies and actions

As part of his commitment to New York City’s thriving and sustainable future, Comptroller Lander is focused on improving the City’s public infrastructure. As of July 2023, Comptroller Lander has managed the issuance of a total of $7.8 billion in municipal bonds to invest in schools, parks, transportation, water and sewer, and climate resiliency projects. The office’s public finance work includes innovative social bonds and tender solicitations that have generated hundreds of millions of dollars in savings, even amid rising interest rates. Comptroller Lander also worked with the Adams Administration to improve the City’s capacity to ensure infrastructure projects are built on time and on-budget.

Prior to being elected Comptroller in 2021, Lander spent 12 years in the City Council, where he co-founded the Council’s Progressive Caucus and won transformative changes to expand workers’ rights, secure tenant protections, create affordable housing, integrate and strengthen the district’s public schools, and make streets safer. He served previously as the director of the Fifth Avenue Committee and the Pratt Center for Community Development.

Brad lives with his wife, Meg Barnette, in Brooklyn where they raised two children, Marek and Rosa, who still roll their eyes at his dad jokes.

Rachael McDonald Associate Managing Director - Public Finance Housing Moody's Investors Service

Rachael Royal McDonald is an Associate Managing Director leading the Housing Finance, State Revolving Funds and Municipal Supported Products Teams. Prior to this role, Rachael spent 16 years as a lead analyst covering the State Housing Finance Agency, State Revolving Fund and Military Housing sectors. Prior to joining Moody’s, Rachael worked for Deloitte Consulting and The Advisory Board Company. Rachael holds an MBA and a Masters in Social Work from Columbia University and a BA from Brown University.

Karandeep Bains Associate Managing Director, US RMBS Moody's Investors Service

Karandeep Bains heads the US RMBS Surveillance team in the Structured Finance Group at Moody’s Investors Service. The RMBS Surveillance team monitors ratings on transactions in several sectors including prime jumbo, credit-risk transfer, reperforming, single-family rental, and reverse mortgages.  Karandeep is also a member of the editorial board for the monthly newsletter ABS & RMBS Spotlight, which focuses on credit risk in the ABS and RMBS markets.

Karandeep joined Moody’s in 2006 and has extensive structured finance experience rating transactions backed by residential mortgages, commercial mortgages, credit card receivables, auto loans, and equipment loans and leases.

Karandeep holds a BS in Computer Engineering from Punjabi University, India and an MBA in Finance from the Yale School of Management.

Natalia Gluschuk Vice President-Senior Credit Officer, US Homebuilding, Corporate Finance Moody's Investors Service

Natalia Gluschuk is a Vice President – Senior Credit Officer at Moody’s Corporate

Finance Group in the US Homebuilding team. Natalia brings extensive analytical

expertise on the Homebuilding and Building Products sectors to this role and holds

lead analyst responsibilities for a portfolio of investment-grade and speculative-grade

issuers.

Since 2018, Natalia has been part of Moody’s US Cross-Sector Housing and Housing

Finance Group that focuses on the development of cross line of business research and

outreach. For more than 10 years, Natalia had been part of Moody’s North America

Refunding Team, conducting refunding risk studies for the corporate sectors in the US

and Canada. Since joining Moody’s in 2006, Natalia has held coverage responsibilities

for a variety of corporate sectors including Homebuilding, Manufacturing, Building

Materials, Consumer Durables, Business and Consumer Services, Wholesale

Distribution, Metals and Mining.

Natalia holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Drexel University

with concentrations in Finance and Economics.

Ranjini Venkatesan Vice President - Senior Credit Officer, US REITs, CFG Moody's Investors Service

Ranjini Venkatesan is a VP Senior Credit Officer in the CRE-REIT team at Moody’s covering a portfolio of real estate investment trust (REIT) and real estate operating company (REOC) issuers. In addition, she is the sector specialist for office and data center REITs. Prior to joining the real estate finance team, Ranjini was a lead analyst in the Financial Institutions group at Moody’s focusing on financial guaranty and mortgage insurance companies. Before that, she was sellside equity research analyst at ABN Amro Asia.

Ranjini received her BSc. (Hons.) from University of Delhi, an MBA from Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore and a Master’s in International Affairs from Columbia University.

Mark Zandi Chief Economist Moody's Analytics

Mark M. Zandi is chief economist of Moody’s Analytics, where he directs economic research. Moody’s Analytics, a subsidiary of Moody’s Corp., is a leading provider of economic research, data and analytical tools. Dr. Zandi is a co founder of the company Economy.com, which Moody’s purchased in 2005.

Dr. Zandi’s broad research interests encompass macroeconomics, financial market sand public policy. His recent research has focused on mortgage finance reform and the determinants of mortgage foreclosure and personal bankruptcy. He has analyzed the economic impact of various tax and government spending policies and assessed the appropriate monetary policy response to bubbles in asset markets.

A trusted adviser to policymakers and an influential source of economic analysis for businesses, journalists and the public, Dr. Zandi frequently testifies before Congress on topics including the economic outlook, the nation’s daunting fiscal challenges, the merits of fiscal stimulus, financial regulatory reform, and foreclosure mitigation.

Dr. Zandi conducts regular briefings on the economy for corporate boards, trade associations and policymakers at all levels. He is on the board of directors of MGIC, the nation’s largest private mortgage insurance company, and The Reinvestment Fund, a large CDFI that makes investments in disadvantaged neighborhoods. He is often quoted in national and global publications and interviewed by major news media outlets, and is a frequent guest on CNBC, NPR, Meet the Press, CNN, and various other national networks and news programs.

Dr. Zandi is the author of Paying the Price: Ending the Great Recession and Beginning a New American Century, which provides an assessment of the monetary and fiscal policy response to the Great Recession. His other book, Financial Shock: A 360º Look at the Subprime Mortgage Implosion, and How to Avoid the Next Financial Crisis, is described by the New York Times as the “clearest guide” to the financial crisis.

Dr. Zandi earned his B.S. from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and his PhD at the University of Pennsylvania. He lives with his wife and three children in the suburbs of Philadelphia.

Brad Lander Comptroller New York City

Comptroller Brad Lander serves as New York City’s chief financial officer, leading an office of roughly 800 public servants in their work to promote the financial health, integrity, and effectiveness of city government and secure a more thriving and sustainable future for all New Yorkers.

As investment advisor and custodian for the City’s public pension funds, Comptroller Lander stewards the retirement security of over 750,000 current and retired public sector workers, with a prudent, diversified, long-term approach to the City’s investments and obligations. Under Comptroller Lander's leadership, three of the City’s funds have adopted a detailed plan to reach net zero emissions by 2040, among the most aggressive in the nation. The plan includes divesting from fossil fuels, engaging asset managers and portfolio companies toward decarbonization across the economy, and dramatically scaling up investments in climate solutions.

Comptroller Lander serves as the City’s budget watchdog and chief accountability officer. His audits revealed nearly a quarter of a billion dollars underreported in NYC Ferry expenditures, inadequate cost controls in Covid-19 emergency procurement, and the ineffectiveness of the City’s homeless sweeps.

Comptroller Lander’s team published the first detailed report on emergency shelter costs for asylum seekers and identified more effective strategies for addressing the humanitarian crisis. The office launched the Department of Correction Dashboard to provide much-needed transparency into City jails. And his initiative with Mayor Eric Adams to pay nonprofit human service providers on time has reduced nearly year-long payment delays. As Comptroller, Lander has strengthened the office’s efforts to combat the climate crisis, create and preserve affordable housing, and protect workers. His Public Solar NYC plan includes an innovative “public option” to scale up rooftop solar and create good green jobs. Under his leadership, the NYC pension funds led shareholder advocacy through which a majority of Starbucks investors voted for an independent review of the company’s labor and human rights policies and actions

As part of his commitment to New York City’s thriving and sustainable future, Comptroller Lander is focused on improving the City’s public infrastructure. As of July 2023, Comptroller Lander has managed the issuance of a total of $7.8 billion in municipal bonds to invest in schools, parks, transportation, water and sewer, and climate resiliency projects. The office’s public finance work includes innovative social bonds and tender solicitations that have generated hundreds of millions of dollars in savings, even amid rising interest rates. Comptroller Lander also worked with the Adams Administration to improve the City’s capacity to ensure infrastructure projects are built on time and on-budget.

Prior to being elected Comptroller in 2021, Lander spent 12 years in the City Council, where he co-founded the Council’s Progressive Caucus and won transformative changes to expand workers’ rights, secure tenant protections, create affordable housing, integrate and strengthen the district’s public schools, and make streets safer. He served previously as the director of the Fifth Avenue Committee and the Pratt Center for Community Development.

Brad lives with his wife, Meg Barnette, in Brooklyn where they raised two children, Marek and Rosa, who still roll their eyes at his dad jokes.

Rachael McDonald Associate Managing Director - Public Finance Housing Moody's Investors Service

Rachael Royal McDonald is an Associate Managing Director leading the Housing Finance, State Revolving Funds and Municipal Supported Products Teams. Prior to this role, Rachael spent 16 years as a lead analyst covering the State Housing Finance Agency, State Revolving Fund and Military Housing sectors. Prior to joining Moody’s, Rachael worked for Deloitte Consulting and The Advisory Board Company. Rachael holds an MBA and a Masters in Social Work from Columbia University and a BA from Brown University.

Natalia Gluschuk Vice President-Senior Credit Officer, US Homebuilding, Corporate Finance Moody's Investors Service

Natalia Gluschuk is a Vice President – Senior Credit Officer at Moody’s Corporate

Finance Group in the US Homebuilding team. Natalia brings extensive analytical

expertise on the Homebuilding and Building Products sectors to this role and holds

lead analyst responsibilities for a portfolio of investment-grade and speculative-grade

issuers.

Since 2018, Natalia has been part of Moody’s US Cross-Sector Housing and Housing

Finance Group that focuses on the development of cross line of business research and

outreach. For more than 10 years, Natalia had been part of Moody’s North America

Refunding Team, conducting refunding risk studies for the corporate sectors in the US

and Canada. Since joining Moody’s in 2006, Natalia has held coverage responsibilities

for a variety of corporate sectors including Homebuilding, Manufacturing, Building

Materials, Consumer Durables, Business and Consumer Services, Wholesale

Distribution, Metals and Mining.

Natalia holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Drexel University

with concentrations in Finance and Economics.

Atsi Sheth Managing Director, Global Head of Strategy & Research Moody's Investors Service

Atsi Sheth is Managing Director and Global Head, Credit Strategy and Research.

Moody’s Credit Strategy & Research group includes global teams focused on Macroeconomic Research, Default & Ratings Analytics and Global Emerging Markets as well as regional credit strategy teams each focused on Asia-Pacific, the Americas, and EMEA.

Together these teams establish and articulate Moody’s house views on the trends that drive risk across countries, sectors and asset classes. They undertake in depth data driven analysis and leverage the expertise of ratings and research analysts across Moody’s to generate global, regional and sector insights on macro-economic, political, policy, technology and environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks.

In her capacity leading the group, Atsi also serves as a spokesperson on Moody’s analytic views, engaging with investors, the media and a wide range of public and private sector stakeholders.

Atsi is a long-time champion of Moody’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) as well as our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives. She serves as co-chair of the CSR Thought Leadership & Solutions working group and the Senior Advisor to Moody’s Asian Leadership Initiative - a Multicultural Business Resource Group.

Prior to her current role, Atsi was Moody’s Chief Credit Officer for the Americas and before that Managing Director in Moody’s Sovereign Risk Group. She has also served as Chief Economist at Reliance Capital and taught courses on International Political Economy and Emerging Markets at Columbia University and Northwestern University. Atsi has a PhD from Northwestern University and a B.A. from Bombay University.

Ranjini Venkatesan Vice President - Senior Credit Officer, US REITs, CFG Moody's Investors Service

Ranjini Venkatesan is a VP Senior Credit Officer in the CRE-REIT team at Moody’s covering a portfolio of real estate investment trust (REIT) and real estate operating company (REOC) issuers. In addition, she is the sector specialist for office and data center REITs. Prior to joining the real estate finance team, Ranjini was a lead analyst in the Financial Institutions group at Moody’s focusing on financial guaranty and mortgage insurance companies. Before that, she was sellside equity research analyst at ABN Amro Asia.

Ranjini received her BSc. (Hons.) from University of Delhi, an MBA from Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore and a Master’s in International Affairs from Columbia University.

Nick Samuels SVP - Senior Credit Officer, States and High Profile Ratings Team Moody's Investors Service

Nick Samuels is a Senior Vice President for the States and High Profile Ratings Team covering credits for the state of Texas, New York City, and the District of Columbia.

Prior to joining Moody’s, Nick worked for the National Association of State Budget Officers analyzing state fiscal and expenditure trends. Nick holds a BA degree in government from Skidmore College and a Master’s in Public Administration from the George Washington University.

Karandeep Bains Associate Managing Director, US RMBS Moody's Investors Service

Karandeep Bains heads the US RMBS Surveillance team in the Structured Finance Group at Moody’s Investors Service. The RMBS Surveillance team monitors ratings on transactions in several sectors including prime jumbo, credit-risk transfer, reperforming, single-family rental, and reverse mortgages.  Karandeep is also a member of the editorial board for the monthly newsletter ABS & RMBS Spotlight, which focuses on credit risk in the ABS and RMBS markets.

Karandeep joined Moody’s in 2006 and has extensive structured finance experience rating transactions backed by residential mortgages, commercial mortgages, credit card receivables, auto loans, and equipment loans and leases.

Karandeep holds a BS in Computer Engineering from Punjabi University, India and an MBA in Finance from the Yale School of Management.