Jim Hempstead is a Managing Director in Moody’s Global Project & Infrastructure Finance Group, where he heads both the North American Regulated Utility & Power Team and the North American Public Infrastructure Team.

Jim acts as a rating chair across all segments of Moody’s Global Infrastructure & Project Finance franchise, and is a member of both the firm’s Infrastructure Finance Franchise Committee and Global Infrastructure Focus Editorial Board.

 Jim also manages the Moody’s Cyber Risk Team, which looks to incorporate cyber security risk into global credit analyses.

Jim helped manage the firm’s global Environmental, Social and Governance efforts between 2017 – 2020.

Prior to joining Moody’s in 2002, Jim was an investment banker with Merrill Lynch &Co., working in the Global Energy & Power Group, providing financial and advisory services to electric, natural gas distribution, interstate pipeline, energy merchant, water and energy technology companies. Prior to joining Merrill Lynch, Jim worked with Salomon Smith Barney Corporate Finance, working in their Global Energy &Power Group.

Jim graduated with a B.S.B.A. from Villanova University and an M.B.A. from Fordham University. From 2011 - 2013, Jim served as the Director of Emergency Management for his hometown in New Jersey, and is a registered EMT for his local, volunteer first aid squad. Jim is a member of the Wall Street Utility Group and served as a Trustee with the Society of Utility and Regulatory Financial Analysts (SURFA) between 2012 -2020. He served on the Advisory Council for the Electric Power Research Institute(EPRI) from 2014-2019.

John is a Senior Vice President in Moody’s Global Project and Infrastructure Finance Team covering a diverse portfolio of project financings, public private partnerships (PPPs), and municipal infrastructure issuers in the transportation, energy and social infrastructure sectors. John chairs Moody’s Global PPP Task Force and is the sector lead for US toll roads, PPPs and generic project financings. John authors research across multiple sectors and annually leads several new rating assignments for new PPPs and project financings in the US and Canada. John was selected as one of the Bond Buyer’s 2017 Rising Stars. Before joining the Infrastructure and Project Finance Team in 2010, John spent two and a half years as a lead analyst for local governments and enterprises in the Eastern Regional Local Government Ratings Team where he was the lead for municipal issuers in Pennsylvania and New York while also covering New Jersey, Virginia, and Florida. Prior to joining Moody’s, John worked as a risk management analyst, a property and casualty insurance account manager, and a health care claims auditor. John is a founding member and was the first co-chair of Moody’s NY Multicultural Employee Resource Group and is a founding steering committee member of Moody’s NY LGBTA Employee Resource Group. John earned his BA degree in Health Care Economics and Policy from Stanford University and his MPA in Health Care Public Finance from New York University’s Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service.

Christian Azzi is a Vice President - Senior Analyst in in Moody’s Ratings Corporate Finance Group responsible for a portfolio of real estate investment trusts (REITs) and other real estate companies, with coverage focused on Office and Healthcare REITs as well as CRE services companies. Prior to his current role, Christian was an analyst in the Telecommunications and Media team in New York, and prior to that, in London when he joined Moody’s in 2006. Christian holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Computer and Communications from the American University of Beirut and a master’s degree in Accounting and Finance from the London School of Economics.

Yong Kang is an AVP-Analyst in Project and Infrastructure Finance team at Moody’s. Based in New York, Yong covers a diversified portfolio of project and infrastructure issuers primarily in the power and transportation sectors in North America.

Before joining the team in New York, Yong was one of the lead analysts responsible for project and infrastructure credits in South and Southeast Asia. Prior to that, he was an Associate Analyst covering corporate and infrastructure issuers mainly in Korea and Hong Kong. Yong has worked in Moody’s Hong Kong, Singapore and New York office since joining the firm in 2018.

Before joining Moody’s, Yong was with Deloitte in Korea where he provided consultancies to infrastructure, energy and aircraft financing investors.

Yong is a CFA charterholder and a CPA licensed in Korea. He also earned the Certificate in ESG Investing from the CFA Institute. Yong holds an MBA from the University of Hong Kong and a BBA from Yonsei University.

Raisa Varejao is a Lead Analyst in Moody’s Global Project & Infrastructure Finance Group, where she specializes in credit analysis for power generation projects, renewable energy, electric cooperatives, and public power utilities. Prior to rejoining Moody’s, Raisa served as a Vice President in the Debt Capital Markets team at Deutsche Bank, and as an Associate in the Corporate Finance division of Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC), focusing on the power and utilities sector.

Raisa holds a master’s degree in Finance from the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin and a bachelor’s degree in Economics and Accounting from FUCAPE Business School. She is also a CFA Charterholder.