now loading...
Wealth Asia Connect Middle East Treasury & Capital Markets Europe ESG Forum TechTalk
Understanding ESG / Treasury & Capital Markets / On The Move
Moody’s Investors Service appoints global head of ESG
Brian Cahill will drive company’s research in ESG space globally
The Asset 24 Jan 2020

Moody's Investors Service (MIS) announced on January 22 the appointment of Brian Cahill as global head of ESG to lead the rating agency's environmental, social and governance (ESG) strategy and outreach, and guide further incorporation of ESG considerations into its credit ratings, analytics and research.

Currently MIS managing director and regional head of the Asia-Pacific corporate finance group, Cahill will take on the newly-created role from February 1. His appointment will complement MIS’ broader focus on ESG, including standalone solutions to help assesses ESG, sustainable finance, and climate change risks and opportunities.

Cahill will drive MIS research in the ESG space globally, ensuring that the rating agency remains at the forefront of innovation and thought leadership at a time when global market practitioners and other stakeholders need enhanced ESG products and services.

As the executive sponsor of MIS’ ESG initiatives, Cahill led the development of research and commentary on relevant topics and has built a strong network of ESG contacts. He has also worked towards creating a working framework between MIS and its newly-acquired affiliates, Vigeo Eiris, a global firm that engages in specialized research and decision-making tools and assessments for sustainable and ethical investments, and Four Twenty Seven, a provider of climate intelligence and data for financial markets, both of which MIS acquired in 2019.

Cahill also has a deep understanding of the Chinese market, which is a significant growth area for ESG as policy-led initiatives drive ESG incorporation into financial markets. MIS acquired a stake in SynTao Green Finance and has announced collaboration with Tsinghua University as it deepens its ESG focus on China.

MIS is committed to enhancing the transparency of how ESG factors are considered in its credit ratings and has produced research on the credit implications of the Paris Agreement, carbon transition risk, physical climate change and the impact of social considerations on credit risk. In January 2019, MIS also published a global cross-sector ESG rating methodology that explains MIS principles for assessing current or developing ESG risks in its credit rating analysis.

Cahill joined MIS in 1996 as a structured finance analyst and has been regional head of the Asia corporate finance franchise since 2002. He led the APAC public project-infrastructure finance team from 2002 to 2018 and the APAC financial institutions team from 2009 to 2016. He was country manager for Australia from 2005 to 2009.

Conversation
Kevin Franklin
Kevin Franklin
chief operating officer, advisory
Elevate
- JOINED THE EVENT -
4th ESG Summit - Webinar series
Rising Expectations
Part 1 - Covid conversation
View Highlights
Conversation
Nneka Chike-Obi
Nneka Chike-Obi
head of APAC ESG ratings and research
Sustainable Fitch
- JOINED THE EVENT -
6th ESG Summit
Beyond the hype
View Highlights