Monica Merli is the Chief Operating Officer of Moody’s Ratings, overseeing operational effectiveness and resilience for all jurisdictions where the rating agency operates. Monica is responsible for regional management, resilience strategy and business continuity planning, third-party risk management, regulatory change implementation and other programmes spanning all Moody’s Ratings lines of business and corporate entities. Monica reports to the President of Moody’s Ratings and is a member of the rating agency’s executive committee. She is also a member of Moody’s Corporation’s Operating Committee and of its global Inclusion Council.

Prior to her current role, Monica was Managing Director – Global Head of Regional Management for Moody’s Ratings, a function for which she retains leadership and which is responsible for the development and coordination of regional strategies and geographic initiatives, including adjustments to regulatory changes and expansion of footprint and activities. Monica is executive board member for several Moody’s Ratings’ regulated entities. She is also responsible for the management and expansion of a portfolio of investments in domestic credit rating agencies in emerging markets.

Prior to her move to Regional Management in 2016 as Managing Director – Regional Head EMEA, Monica was Managing Director for Moody’s Ratings’ EMEA Infrastructure Finance, responsible for coordinating and overseeing the activities of a 50-person analytical team covering the ratings of electric, gas and water utilities, transportation infrastructure companies, other infrastructure entities and project financings in the region.

Monica holds an Economics and Business degree from the University of Florence, Italy, and is an alumna of the London Business School, UK, where she completed the Corporate Finance Programme.

Gary Freas is a Principal Threat Researcher with Palo Alto Networks Unit 42's Intelligence Services team. He has nearly 20 years of experience in IT, security, and cybersecurity, including time with the US military, US federal government, and his previous role with Google/Mandiant where he served as both an Advanced Intelligence Access analyst, and a manager on the Custom Intelligence Synthesis and Research team. Gary focuses on DPRK Cyber Operations in addition to his primary role supporting customers within Intelligence Services

Nick Sherwood is the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) for Moody’s Corporation and joined the firm in January of 2020. As CISO Nick is responsible for the overall global cybersecurity posture of Moody’s. Nick has held various cybersecurity and technology roles during the past 25 years at companies including Invesco, Oppenheimer Funds and Coors Brewing Company. As CISO he is focused on leveraging automation and making metrics driven decisions to help counter the ever increasing volume of global cyber-attacks. Nick has a degree in Computer Science from the University of Colorado and holds several cybersecurity related certifications including a CISM, CISSP and a certification in digital forensics preservation.

Anand Iyer is currently the Group Chief Technology Officer at ICRA Ltd., the country’s leading rating agency and provider of investment information. At ICRA, he is responsible for driving Group-level digital strategy for ICRA Limited and it’s subsidiaries, continuing to strengthen ICRA’s technology capabilities and thought-leadership, and contributing to the growth of the group.

Over his long and distinguished career, Anand has accumulated a wealth of experience of leading and transforming digital businesses, firmly putting those businesses on the path of technology and growth. Anand brings over 24 years of experience in the financial services sector across banking, data, capital markets and real-time systems, gathered from working in India, Europe and the North Americas. Over the years, he has built his career as a technologist with deep exposure to the capital markets, anti-money laundering, cross-border payments, risk management, surveillance and clearing & settlement systems.

He completed his MBA from the Institute of Technology and Management (ITM), after completing a double graduation in Mathematics and Statistics from SIES College, Mumbai University. He is also an IIM-A alumnus, having done multiple senior management programs, a certified Cyber Data Strategist from the Data Security Council of India (DSCI), a certified Derivatives Trader, and a certified Scrum Master.

Prior to this, Anand was the Sr. Director–Operations and Information Technology at Dun & Bradstreet India, handling technology, operations, product and data strategy. Before D&B, he was the Chief Information Officer (CIO) with National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange (NCDEX), where he was responsible for setting up and operationalizing the country’s first commodities repository, the National e-Repository Ltd. (NeRL), in addition to several other transformation projects.

Todd Hallberg serves as the Business Information Security Officer (BISO) at Moody’s Corporation, a position he has held since September 2019. In this capacity, Todd works in partnership with technology, risk, and business leaders to strengthen cybersecurity frameworks, manage third-party and affiliate risks, and ensure adherence to regulatory compliance and customer security standards.

He brings a wealth of cybersecurity expertise from his diverse roles within the financial services and defense industries.
Todd earned a degree in Computer Science from Regis University and holds several professional certifications, including the CISSP.

Andrew leads Cyber Threat Management, responsible for proactively identifying, preparing for, responding to, and learning from significant cyber threats.

In his role, Andrew drives the continuous evolution of the Cyber Incident Response, Threat Intelligence and Red Team programs.

Andrew joined Moody's in 2013 and moved to the Cyber team in 2016.

Throughout his 20+ year career in the Financial Services and Software industries, Andrew has held various technical and managerial roles within the areas of Digital Forensics, eDiscovery, Cyber Incident Management, Technical Support,
and Technical Writing.

Andrew holds an MSc in Computer Forensics and eDiscovery, a BSc (Hons) in Computer Science, as well as multiple industry certifications including CISSP, GISP, GCIH, GCFE, GCFA, and GCLD.

Andrew leads Cyber Threat Management, responsible for proactively identifying, preparing for, responding to, and learning from significant cyber threats.

In his role, Andrew drives the continuous evolution of the Cyber Incident Response, Threat Intelligence and Red Team programs.

Andrew joined Moody's in 2013 and moved to the Cyber team in 2016.

Throughout his 20+ year career in the Financial Services and Software industries, Andrew has held various technical and managerial roles within the areas of Digital Forensics, eDiscovery, Cyber Incident Management, Technical Support,
and Technical Writing.

Andrew holds an MSc in Computer Forensics and eDiscovery, a BSc (Hons) in Computer Science, as well as multiple industry certifications including CISSP, GISP, GCIH, GCFE, GCFA, and GCLD.

As Global Head of Communications for Moody's, Michael leads the company's Communications function, overseeing a global team responsible for promoting Moody's voice, thought leadership and visibility across internal and external channels. Within Moody’s Corporate Affairs team, his portfolio spans Regional Communications, Enterprise Communications, Communications Strategy and Business Alignment, and the broader internal communications functions.

Michael joined Moody's in 2007 and has held a variety of leadership roles within Communications, including corporate, crisis and internal communications.

He brings over 30 years of combined communications experience supporting the financial services, defense and information security industries. Prior to Moody's, Michael held communications roles with Fannie Mae, General Dynamics and PwC.

Michael has a BA in English from Binghamton University.

Gregory T. Parks helps companies manage data security incident response and litigation, privacy and cybersecurity compliance, class actions, attorney general investigations loyalty and gift card programs, retail operations, payment mechanisms, shoplifting prevention, and matters for retail, ecommerce, and other consumer-facing companies. For more than 20 years, Greg’s focus has been data security incident response and crisis management and any resulting litigation. Greg manages all phases of such litigation, trial, and appeal work. Greg is the leader of Morgan Lewis’s

Naomi is Global Head of Privacy for Moody’s Corporation and leads a dedicated privacy team supporting Moody’s Ratings, Moody’s Analytics, and Moody’s Shared Services on privacy matters globally. Naomi reports to Moody’s General Counsel of Moody’s Analytics & Technology, Intellectual Property, Privacy & Sourcing (MA & TIPPS), Johanna Werbach.

Prior to joining Moody’s in 2020, Naomi served as privacy counsel to Chinese consumer electronics company Huawei Consumer Business Group, and UK high street bank NatWest-RBS Group. Before that, Naomi was at US law firm Hunton Andrews Kurth advising global technology companies on privacy matters, andtrained as a solicitor with US law firm Covington & Burling LLP where she advised global technology and pharmaceutical companies on privacy.

Naomi holds an LLB in Philosophy from the University of Manchester, and a Graduate Diploma in Law and Legal Practice Course from BPP Law School. Naomi is a qualified Solicitor of the Courts of England and Wales and of the Republic of Ireland, andis a Certified Information Privacy Professional/Europe (CIPP

Martin is part of the Regional Management leadership team and is responsible for Moody’s Ratings’ global strategy in domestic markets.

Martin works together with the Regional Management Heads for APAC, EMEA and Latin America, to design and implement initiatives for Moody’s domestic credit rating agencies (“CRA affiliates”), which operate in developing local currency capital markets in emerging economies worldwide.

He also coordinates the engagement with Moody’s Analytics to distribute ratings, data, and other content produced by the CRA affiliates, and oversees other portfolio-wide projects.

Martin is a director on the Boards of EMEA affiliates GCR and MERIS.

As part of his previous role as Senior Vice President and Head of Strategy & Business Management for EMEA, Martin was responsible for the domestic markets strategy for the region; managing and growing Moody's investment portfolio in CRA affiliates in Africa and the Middle East (including leading the full acquisition of GCR Ratings in 2024). 

Additionally, he led the development and execution of regional strategic priorities for Moody's Ratings' core business in EMEA. 

Before joining Moody's, Martin worked at the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) in it's investment banking and capital markets group in London. 

Prior to that, he advised corporate finance and debt capital markets clients at the Nomura and Morgan Stanley in London and Buenos Aires. 

Martin holds an MBA from London Business School.

Martin is part of the Regional Management leadership team and is responsible for Moody’s Ratings’ global strategy in domestic markets.

Martin works together with the Regional Management Heads for APAC, EMEA and Latin America, to design and implement initiatives for Moody’s domestic credit rating agencies (“CRA affiliates”), which operate in developing local currency capital markets in emerging economies worldwide.

He also coordinates the engagement with Moody’s Analytics to distribute ratings, data, and other content produced by the CRA affiliates, and oversees other portfolio-wide projects.

Martin is a director on the Boards of EMEA affiliates GCR and MERIS.

As part of his previous role as Senior Vice President and Head of Strategy & Business Management for EMEA, Martin was responsible for the domestic markets strategy for the region; managing and growing Moody's investment portfolio in CRA affiliates in Africa and the Middle East (including leading the full acquisition of GCR Ratings in 2024). 

Additionally, he led the development and execution of regional strategic priorities for Moody's Ratings' core business in EMEA. 

Before joining Moody's, Martin worked at the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) in it's investment banking and capital markets group in London. 

Prior to that, he advised corporate finance and debt capital markets clients at the Nomura and Morgan Stanley in London and Buenos Aires. 

Martin holds an MBA from London Business School.

Andrew leads Cyber Threat Management, responsible for proactively identifying, preparing for, responding to, and learning from significant cyber threats.

In his role, Andrew drives the continuous evolution of the Cyber Incident Response, Threat Intelligence and Red Team programs.

Andrew joined Moody's in 2013 and moved to the Cyber team in 2016.

Throughout his 20+ year career in the Financial Services and Software industries, Andrew has held various technical and managerial roles within the areas of Digital Forensics, eDiscovery, Cyber Incident Management, Technical Support,
and Technical Writing.

Andrew holds an MSc in Computer Forensics and eDiscovery, a BSc (Hons) in Computer Science, as well as multiple industry certifications including CISSP, GISP, GCIH, GCFE, GCFA, and GCLD.

Andrew leads Cyber Threat Management, responsible for proactively identifying, preparing for, responding to, and learning from significant cyber threats.

In his role, Andrew drives the continuous evolution of the Cyber Incident Response, Threat Intelligence and Red Team programs.

Andrew joined Moody's in 2013 and moved to the Cyber team in 2016.

Throughout his 20+ year career in the Financial Services and Software industries, Andrew has held various technical and managerial roles within the areas of Digital Forensics, eDiscovery, Cyber Incident Management, Technical Support,
and Technical Writing.

Andrew holds an MSc in Computer Forensics and eDiscovery, a BSc (Hons) in Computer Science, as well as multiple industry certifications including CISSP, GISP, GCIH, GCFE, GCFA, and GCLD.

Leroy Terrelonge is a Vice President – Senior Credit Officer in the Moody's Ratings Cyber Credit Risk Group, where he is responsible for creating and executing the group's research and outreach agenda. He works collaboratively with stakeholders across Moody’s to build and assess cyber datasets and publish timely and relevant research on cyber risk and its impact on financial performance. Leroy has more than 20 years of risk experience working in government, international education, tech startups and corporates. Prior to joining Moody’s, Leroy led a team of analysts at Flashpoint, a threat intelligence company that researches cybercriminal communities, and previously worked as  an analyst at the National Security Agency. e has been cited in both domestic and international media on cyber risk issues and has presented at cybersecurity conferences around the world. Leroy graduated from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy with a Masters in International Business and holds an A.B. in Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations cum laude from Harvard University. He also served as a Princeton-in-Asia fellow in Almaty, Kazakhstan and serves on the board of this organization. He is an avid touch rugby referee.

Adarsh Chavakula is an Associate Vice President - Data Scientist in the AI Analytics team at Moody’s Ratings, where he builds AI-powered applications that generate predictive insights and enhance operational efficiency. He leads a dedicated squad focused on developing Agentic AI solutions for Ratings workflows. Adarsh brings over 10 years of experience designing and deploying machine learning models across industries. Prior to Moody’s, he worked at American Express and Optimum. He earned a Master of Science in Data Science from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Technology in Chemical Engineering from IIT Madras.

Ethan Michaud serves as Managing Director of Emerging Technology and Architecture for Moody's Ratings Technology. In this role, he leads the strategic direction for technology initiatives within Moody's Ratings, ensuring innovative, secure, and scalable solutions that empower both technical teams and business partners. His leadership is focused on aligning technology with business goals, driving evolution, and fostering a culture of innovation.

Before joining Moody's, Ethan built a career that spans over 15 years in technology leadership roles across financial services and other industries. After serving in the military, Ethan began his corporate journey at Monster.com where he developed a deep appreciation for the transformative power of technology. He as since held key positions at organizations like AIG, TIAA and Merrill Lynch, gaining expertise in areas such as real-time analytics, data visualization, and operational excellence. His innovative work in analytics has earned him five U.S. patents.
Ethan's unique background, combining military, corporate, and entrepreneurial experience provides him with a nuanced perspective on the intersection of people, technology, and strategy.
A Boston native, he now resides in Charlotte, North Carolina with his family. Ethan enjoys exploring the outdoors and engaging in family activities, always staying curious about how continuous learning shapes personal and professional growth.

Benjamin Burgess is the Associate Managing Director of Software Engineering for Moody’s Ratings Technology. As a leader within the Emerging Technology and Architecture organization, he defines the architectural standards, patterns, and foundational technologies that drive the broader engineering ecosystem. His work focuses heavily on emerging technologies—including artificial intelligence, machine learning, and blockchain—providing the technical groundwork necessary for both continuous innovation and operational consistency.

With a 30-year career in financial services software engineering, Benjamin brings deep, practical expertise to his role. Prior to Moody's, he spent 15 years at TIAA, mastering a broad range of enterprise technology disciplines. Since joining Moody’s, he has driven several critical initiatives, serving as the initial technical lead for Moody’s Local, the original designer of the Spotlight APIs, and the technical lead for the RCM Wizard. Additionally, he is the founder of the EMTN Framework and currently serves as Chair of the Moody’s Ratings Architecture Review Board.

Benjamin holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Brigham Young University. Though his background includes living across multiple states and countries—including the Philippines and Chile—he has proudly called North Carolina home for over 22 years. Outside of the office, he is a lifelong technology enthusiast who enjoys staying ahead of industry trends and spending time with his five children.

Joni Vrapi serves as Vice President of Machine Learning Engineering for Moody’s Ratings Technology. In this role, he leads AI strategy and development for Ethan Michaud’s organization, with a current focus on the buildout of the Jenny AI Platform for Moody’s Ratings. His work is centered on improving efficiency, enabling innovation, scaling AI capabilities, and supporting business partners through practical and forward-looking technology solutions.

Before joining Moody’s, Joni built his career across 12 years of experience spanning insurance, finance, housing, and healthcare. He has held roles at organizations including AIG and EliseAI, developing deep expertise in software engineering and machine learning/AI. Across these industries, he has focused on building and advancing technology capabilities that help organizations operate more effectively and deliver meaningful business impact.

Joni’s background across multiple industries gives him a broad perspective on how engineering and AI can be applied to solve complex problems, support strategic priorities, and drive transformation at scale.

A Boston native, he now resides in Charlotte, North Carolina. Outside of work, Joni enjoys spending time with his family and his two German Shepherds.

Mat Pickering is the Managing Director of Technology Delivery at Moody's Ratings Corporation. As a member of the Technology Leadership Team under CTO Tim Bhatt, Mat's teams deliver analysis and intelligence solutions for Moody's Fundamental Ratings groups. Recent addition of Generative Al solutions from Claude and GPT have helped drive operational efficiency opportunities.

Prior to Moody's, Mat built and led successful teams in analytics, performance, and cloud operations, earning four U.S. patents in real-time data for application performance. With Gomez (Dynatrace), his role of Product Owner assisted in the company's successful acquisition by developing a next-generation performance measurement and monitoring suite.
Mat's engineering and development experience includes building systems for large-scale student assessment, financial trading platforms, and MRI­based brain research. Originally from Connecticut, he now resides in London, working from Moody's Canary Wharf office. He holds a BS in Computer Science with a minor in Music as well as numerous technical certifications.

Joni Vrapi serves as Vice President of Machine Learning Engineering for Moody’s Ratings Technology. In this role, he leads AI strategy and development for Ethan Michaud’s organization, with a current focus on the buildout of the Jenny AI Platform for Moody’s Ratings. His work is centered on improving efficiency, enabling innovation, scaling AI capabilities, and supporting business partners through practical and forward-looking technology solutions.

Before joining Moody’s, Joni built his career across 12 years of experience spanning insurance, finance, housing, and healthcare. He has held roles at organizations including AIG and EliseAI, developing deep expertise in software engineering and machine learning/AI. Across these industries, he has focused on building and advancing technology capabilities that help organizations operate more effectively and deliver meaningful business impact.

Joni’s background across multiple industries gives him a broad perspective on how engineering and AI can be applied to solve complex problems, support strategic priorities, and drive transformation at scale.

A Boston native, he now resides in Charlotte, North Carolina. Outside of work, Joni enjoys spending time with his family and his two German Shepherds.

Adarsh Chavakula is an Associate Vice President - Data Scientist in the AI Analytics team at Moody’s Ratings, where he builds AI-powered applications that generate predictive insights and enhance operational efficiency. He leads a dedicated squad focused on developing Agentic AI solutions for Ratings workflows. Adarsh brings over 10 years of experience designing and deploying machine learning models across industries. Prior to Moody’s, he worked at American Express and Optimum. He earned a Master of Science in Data Science from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Technology in Chemical Engineering from IIT Madras.

Julia is Assistant General Counsel for Moody’s Ratings and focuses on providing global legal support for the ratings business. Julia reports to the MR General Counsel.

At Moody’s, Julia provides legal support for ordinary course of business regulatory matters for Moody’s Ratings in the US, Canada and LatAm. She also leads the global Moody’s Ratings Legal AI Working Group.

Prior to joining Moody’s, Julia spent fourteen years at the United States Securities and Exchange Commission where she held a series of legal roles of increasing responsibility. In her last role at the SEC, Julia provided legal advice to teams engaged in examining domestic and international credit rating agencies. Before that, Julia was at the US-headquartered global law firm, Venable, where she focused on CMBS.

Julia holds a JD degree from the Fordham University School of Law and a Bachelor’s Degree from the Johns Hopkins University. She is admitted to the bar in New York, Maryland and Virginia.

Martin is part of the Regional Management leadership team and is responsible for Moody’s Ratings’ global strategy in domestic markets.

Martin works together with the Regional Management Heads for APAC, EMEA and Latin America, to design and implement initiatives for Moody’s domestic credit rating agencies (“CRA affiliates”), which operate in developing local currency capital markets in emerging economies worldwide.

He also coordinates the engagement with Moody’s Analytics to distribute ratings, data, and other content produced by the CRA affiliates, and oversees other portfolio-wide projects.

Martin is a director on the Boards of EMEA affiliates GCR and MERIS.

As part of his previous role as Senior Vice President and Head of Strategy & Business Management for EMEA, Martin was responsible for the domestic markets strategy for the region; managing and growing Moody's investment portfolio in CRA affiliates in Africa and the Middle East (including leading the full acquisition of GCR Ratings in 2024). 

Additionally, he led the development and execution of regional strategic priorities for Moody's Ratings' core business in EMEA. 

Before joining Moody's, Martin worked at the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) in it's investment banking and capital markets group in London. 

Prior to that, he advised corporate finance and debt capital markets clients at the Nomura and Morgan Stanley in London and Buenos Aires. 

Martin holds an MBA from London Business School.

Martin is part of the Regional Management leadership team and is responsible for Moody’s Ratings’ global strategy in domestic markets.

Martin works together with the Regional Management Heads for APAC, EMEA and Latin America, to design and implement initiatives for Moody’s domestic credit rating agencies (“CRA affiliates”), which operate in developing local currency capital markets in emerging economies worldwide.

He also coordinates the engagement with Moody’s Analytics to distribute ratings, data, and other content produced by the CRA affiliates, and oversees other portfolio-wide projects.

Martin is a director on the Boards of EMEA affiliates GCR and MERIS.

As part of his previous role as Senior Vice President and Head of Strategy & Business Management for EMEA, Martin was responsible for the domestic markets strategy for the region; managing and growing Moody's investment portfolio in CRA affiliates in Africa and the Middle East (including leading the full acquisition of GCR Ratings in 2024). 

Additionally, he led the development and execution of regional strategic priorities for Moody's Ratings' core business in EMEA. 

Before joining Moody's, Martin worked at the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) in it's investment banking and capital markets group in London. 

Prior to that, he advised corporate finance and debt capital markets clients at the Nomura and Morgan Stanley in London and Buenos Aires. 

Martin holds an MBA from London Business School.

Mat Pickering is the Managing Director of Technology Delivery at Moody's Ratings Corporation. As a member of the Technology Leadership Team under CTO Tim Bhatt, Mat's teams deliver analysis and intelligence solutions for Moody's Fundamental Ratings groups. Recent addition of Generative Al solutions from Claude and GPT have helped drive operational efficiency opportunities.

Prior to Moody's, Mat built and led successful teams in analytics, performance, and cloud operations, earning four U.S. patents in real-time data for application performance. With Gomez (Dynatrace), his role of Product Owner assisted in the company's successful acquisition by developing a next-generation performance measurement and monitoring suite.
Mat's engineering and development experience includes building systems for large-scale student assessment, financial trading platforms, and MRI­based brain research. Originally from Connecticut, he now resides in London, working from Moody's Canary Wharf office. He holds a BS in Computer Science with a minor in Music as well as numerous technical certifications.

Brendan is Managing Director-Ratings Platform Development, leading the design of a new, digital ratings workflow. He reports directly to Philipp Lotter, Global Head of the Ratings & Research (R&R) group, and with a dotted reporting line into Tim Bhatt, Global Head of MIS Technology. Brendan leads a team of process and data specialists and is accountable for all strategic decisions, business requirements and prioritisation of objectives for the design of a new, digital ratings workflow. Brendan and his team also support the digitisation of analytic tools. Prior to this role, Brendan served as R&R Chief of Staff since 2020. In this position, he assisted the R&R leadership team to set and execute on strategy, offered strategic counsel, ensured effective communications, and led change management. Before joining R&R, Brendan held various roles within the EMEA strategy team for MIS, most recently as VP-Business Analyst. He was involved with implementing the regional strategy and ensuring effective coordination of initiatives across different lines of business and geographies. Brendan was a key member of the team responsible for developing the firm’s Brexit response plan and completed a secondment to Lithuania to oversee the establishment of Moody’s Vilnius office. Passionate about Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, he has been co-chair of the EMEA Pride business resource group, a founding member of Moody's mental health employee resource group and co-led several initiatives to establish Moody’s external DE&I partnerships. Brendan’s DE&I commitments include launching Moody’s and Women in Islamic & Ethical Finance Forum (WIEFF) mentoring programme and to lead the Interbank LGBT Standards & Practices sub-committee. Brendan joined Moody’s in early 2015 in the Business Planning team. Before this, he worked in several accounting and finance positions at Standard & Poor’s and within a Private Equity firm in London, and as an environmental consultant in South Africa. Brendan grew up in Zimbabwe and originally studied Environmental Science and Botany in South Africa. He is a member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), trained in Business Process Management and completed his MBA with Distinction from Warwick Business School

DJ Kulkarni is a Senior Vice President at Moody’s Ratings Technology, where he leads the engineering of common frameworks and scalable, AI enabled applications across Ratings and Research. His work focuses on building shared architectural foundations that drive consistency, reuse, and speed across large, distributed engineering teams, while ensuring platforms remain secure, resilient, and suited for regulated environments.

Before joining Moody’s, DJ served as a Framework Architect and Technology Lead at AIG and TIAA, where he led large technology initiatives and enterprise modernization efforts. He holds a Master’s degree in Computer Applications and is a programmer at heart, passionate about solving complex problems in simple, elegant ways, blending hands on architectural thinking with framework and engineering leadership. Based in Charlotte, North Carolina, DJ enjoys traveling with his family, playing recreational tennis, and is always looking to pick up a new hobby.

Liam is a Senior Vice President in Moody’s Ratings and serves as the Global 1st Line Risk Manager for the Chief Operating Officer (COO) Group. In this role, he oversees country, geopolitical, regulatory, and operational risk frameworks, supporting governance, risk appetite alignment, and strategic decision making across Moody’s Ratings global operations. Liam brings deep expertise in regulatory, political, and country risk, underpinned by extensive experience in policy development, legal analysis, and engagement with regulators and public authorities. Prior to his current role, he held senior positions within Moody’s Government, Public and Regulatory Affairs function, where he led regulatory strategy, and engaged with policy makers and other authorities on matters impacting Moody’s operations. Before joining Moody’s in London in 2013, Liam was a Legal and Capital Markets Advisor at the Central Bank of Bahrain and a member of its Regulatory Policy Committee from 2007 to 2013. Liam qualified as an Attorney in 2000 and started his career at Norton Rose Fulbright in South Africa. He holds a B.A. (Hons), LL.B, and an LL.M. in International Economic Law.

Steve Love is a Senior Vice President in Moody’s Ratings Risk Management. He serves as Second Line Risk Lead for Ratings & Research and the COO Group, and as the MR Risk Lead for the EMEA region.

Steve played a key role in the development and rollout of the MR Risk Framework and now partners closely with business stakeholders to further mature risk management practices across the firm.

He is a member of the Ratings Risk Committee, Research and Outreach Risk Committee, and Issues Management Committee, and regularly engages with Boards and regulators across his region.

Prior to joining Moody’s in 2021, Steve was Global Head of Business Risk at HSBC Global Asset Management, spending more than 20 years at HSBC in senior Operational Risk and Audit leadership roles. He began his career at Price Waterhouse as an auditor.

Steve holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from the University of Birmingham and is a Fellow Chartered Accountant (FCA) of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.

Mr. Abhishek Dafria joined ICRA in 2008. He is currently Head of Strategy and Business Transformation for ICRA Group. Prior to this role, he was Group Head of ICRA’s Structured Finance team for more than 5 years. He has overall 17 years of experience in credit ratings and research across corporate and structured finance functions with the responsibility of achieving high rating accuracy and providing insights that would support investors in making informed decisions.

He has been part of ICRA’s Rating Committee responsible for providing reliable and unbiased credit ratings in corporate, finance and structured finance domains. He has represented ICRA at multiple industry conferences and events as a guest speaker. He holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM) from Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow.

Craig is responsible for the ICT strategy, governance and overall risk framework across the GCR group. He has more than fifteen years of experience in the credit rating industry, all served at GCR. Craig has worked in multiple divisions at GCR, starting as an Analyst across various rating sectors, with a strong focus on data compilation and analytics. He then served as an Analytical Systems Development Officer, where he was responsible for creating and investing in processes to improve efficiency in line with the company's strategic objectives. Craig holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) Degree in Investment Management from the University of Johannesburg, South Africa. In addition, he is the management representative for the Independent Board Risk & Review Committee of GCR Ratings Co (Pty) ltd.

Patrick Yoon brings over 25 years of experience in banking, payments and digital assets across US, UK, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Prior to joining KIS, Patrick was the Country Manager of Crypto.com Korea, the world's fastest growing digital asset platform. As the first global crypto player to obtain a license to operate crypto trading and payments in Korea; he led the way in building Web3 ecosystem to drive new economic growth and job creation in the country. Prior to this he was a Group Country Manager of Visa Korea and Mongolia where he was responsible for digital transformation become a “Network of Networks” business. Secured exclusive alliances with leading banks, card companies, fintechs and online retailers to re-establish the market leadership at 60% share in 3 years. Also spearheaded new launch of B2B Solutions and Consulting Advisory to ramp up new revenue engine; enhanced portfolio margin to 65% from 40%. Prior to these roles Patrick spent thirteen years with Standard Chartered where he was Country Head of Wealth and Retail Banking in Korea, Chief of Staff to Group Chief Executive in the UK, Managing Director of Strategy and Corporate Development in Singapore. His experiences included development and execution of transformation strategy for global consumer banking across 33 markets; driving Group Chief Executive's client, regulatory, media and political relationships across Asia, Middle East, and Africa and most notably, completed a successful turnaround in Korea. Patrick graduated from Columbia Business School and London Business School with dual MBA degrees and MA in International Relations from University of Southern California.

Jane Kwak is the Chief Financial Officer and Senior Group Head of Corporate Management Service Group at Korea Investors Service (KIS). In this role, she has overall responsibility of accounting and financial reporting, business planning, human resource managing, information technology as well as investor services functions.

She joined the company in 2015 as a Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President, and was promoted to Executive Vice President in July 2017. Prior to joining KIS, Jane Kwak held a number of executive positions at various institutions. She served for five years as Chief Financial Officer of Standard Chartered Capital Limited, Seoul, Korea, from 2010. Previously, she was Chief Financial Officer/Chief Administrative Officer in Merrill Lynch International Incorporated in Korea from 2001, and Chief Financial Officer at Standard Chartered Bank Seoul from 1998.

Jane served as a financial analyst at the World Bank in Washington DC from 1991 until 1996. She received her BA in English Literature from Duksung Women’s University and earned her MBA in George Washington University, U.S.A. Jane is a US certified public accountant.

Kie Yoon is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and the Representative Director of KIS Pricing, Inc. Since joining the company in March 2019, he has been working on improving the company’s system and organizational culture, as well as the company’s financial growth.

As a Certified Public Accountant (KICPA) and Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), he is well versed in credit ratings for Korean structured finance, corporates and financial institutions.

He had worked for Korea Investors Service (KIS) for more than 20 years since 1998, and served as Head of Commercial & Communications Group, Corporate & Financial Institutions Group and Structured Finance Group.

Prior to joining KIS, he worked as a KICPA at Samil Accounting Corporation. Kie holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Yonsei University in Seoul, Korea.

Delfina Baltar is SVP - Head of Strategy, Operations & Technology for Latin America at Moody’s Local, where she oversees a diverse team of professionals across the region. In her current role, Delfina leads strategic projects and technological transformation initiatives within the company.

Prior to this role, Delfina spent 6 years focusing on leading strategic projects for Moody’s, like building Moody’s Local business model and its deployment in the region, together with other M&A transactions.

Her career also includes experience in private equity with Grupo Pegasus and corporate finance roles at JP Morgan Chase.

Academically, Delfina holds an Executive MBA from UTDT, a Master's in Corporate Finance from UCEMA, and a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from UCA.

Monica Merli is the Chief Operating Officer of Moody’s Ratings, overseeing operational effectiveness and resilience for all jurisdictions where the rating agency operates. Monica is responsible for regional management, resilience strategy and business continuity planning, third-party risk management, regulatory change implementation and other programmes spanning all Moody’s Ratings lines of business and corporate entities. Monica reports to the President of Moody’s Ratings and is a member of the rating agency’s executive committee. She is also a member of Moody’s Corporation’s Operating Committee and of its global Inclusion Council.

Prior to her current role, Monica was Managing Director – Global Head of Regional Management for Moody’s Ratings, a function for which she retains leadership and which is responsible for the development and coordination of regional strategies and geographic initiatives, including adjustments to regulatory changes and expansion of footprint and activities. Monica is executive board member for several Moody’s Ratings’ regulated entities. She is also responsible for the management and expansion of a portfolio of investments in domestic credit rating agencies in emerging markets.

Prior to her move to Regional Management in 2016 as Managing Director – Regional Head EMEA, Monica was Managing Director for Moody’s Ratings’ EMEA Infrastructure Finance, responsible for coordinating and overseeing the activities of a 50-person analytical team covering the ratings of electric, gas and water utilities, transportation infrastructure companies, other infrastructure entities and project financings in the region.

Monica holds an Economics and Business degree from the University of Florence, Italy, and is an alumna of the London Business School, UK, where she completed the Corporate Finance Programme.