Elena Okorochenko, head of Asia Pacific ex-Japan for S&P Global Ratings, has recently made a number of Asia Pacific appointments to underscore the world’s leading provider of credit ratings’ strong commitment to the region.
Based in Singapore, Matthew Batrouney has been named as head of South and Southeast Asia (SSEA); he began in his new role on January 1. Mr. Batrouney now oversees the commercial operations of the firms ratings business in key domestic markets in SSEA. He joined S&P Global Ratings in 2005, and has held senior positions with the company’s regional sales team. Before joining the firm, he held a number of senior banking and capital market roles at ANZ Bank, National Australia Bank, National Bank of Solomon Islands, and Bank of Western Australia.
On January 17, JaeMin Kwon began in his new role as country head of Korea, overseeing the growth of S&P Global Ratings’ business in Korea. Mr. Kwon, who relocated to Seoul from Hong Kong, has held a number of senior analytical positions in Asia Pacific since joining the company in 2004. Before that, he was a senior equity analyst at Goodmorning Shinhan Securities in Seoul, covering the Korean banking and credit card industries.
Commenting on the new appointments, Singapore-based Ms. Okorochenko, who was appointed to her current position on August 11 last year and now oversees the company’s region-wide strategies and operations, says: “These appointments demonstrate our strong commitment to the development of deep, transparent and liquid debt markets in Asia. We hope to continue to grow our presence in key markets in SSEA and Korea by providing a unique combination of global coverage and local credit insights.”
She continues: “Matthew brings more than a decade of experience in business development and client relationship management at S&P Global Ratings. His knowledge and experience will help strengthen our leadership position in SSEA. JaeMin combines deep knowledge of the Korean market with cross-sector product experience as a senior analytical leader. He will drive our efforts to develop relationships with key market participants in Korea while continuing to expand our already strong cross-border ratings business.”
Additionally, Liesl Saldanha was appointed as regional practice leader for sovereigns and international public finance (SovIPF) on February 6 this year. In her position as lead analytical manager, she now manages the firm’s SovIPF analytical teams across an expanded region covering Asia, the Middle East, the Pacific and Africa. Ms. Saldanha, who joined S&P Global Ratings in 2004, moved to Singapore in 2015 to lead the financial services practice in SSEA.
