Rahul Ghosh Managing Director – Sustainable Finance Moody’s Ratings

Rahul Ghosh is Managing Director, ESG Outreach & Research for Moody’s Investors Service.

Rahul leads global oversight for the credit rating agency’s environmental, social and governance (ESG) research and outreach strategy. In this capacity, he is responsible for co-ordinating high quality and impactful research exploring the credit implications of ESG, as well as digital and in-person outreach to meet the growing market needs of investors, issuers and other important stakeholders.

Rahul is a regular participant at high-profile industry working groups, market briefings, external conferences and media engagements. He is a member of the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures, a market-led initiative to develop a risk management and disclosure framework for nature-related risks. He has also represented Moody’s on the UN Principles for Responsible Investment's advisory committee on credit ratings and the Green and Social Bond Principles working groups. He has presented on the impact of climate change on emerging market sovereigns at the G20 Green Finance Study Group and on sustainable finance trends at the International Finance Corporation’s Global Debt Mobilization Conference.

Before his current role, Rahul oversaw Moody’s ESG Solutions Group outreach and engagement activities globally with the sustainability stakeholder community. He also previously worked in Moody’s Credit Strategy & Research team where he was responsible for thematic research and outreach on global emerging market (EM) credit trends. Prior to joining Moody’s in 2013, Rahul was the Head of Asia at BMI Research (Fitch Solutions) in Singapore, leading a team of macroeconomists and industry specialists in analysing sovereign risk, sector performance and the capital markets.

Rahul is a passionate impact leader for Moody’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives in London, chairing the pillar on “activating an environmentally sustainable future”. He holds a Masters degree in Economics from the University of Edinburgh and a Certificate in ESG Investing from the CFA Society of the UK.

Divya Bendre Head of Fixed Income ESG Capital Markets, Americas Bank of America

Divya leads BofA’s origination and structuring for ESG-themed debt capital markets transactions in the Americas. She joined BofA in 2020 from HSBC where she was the Americas lead for Sustainable Finance and supported project financing as a part of the Real Assets and Structured Finance team.

Since 2015 she has structured key firsts in the ESG-themed debt market for infrastructure, public sector, financial institutions and corporate issuers in US, Canada and Latin America. Divya also served as the subject-matter expert for the development of new ESG-labeled products including commercial paper, corporate deposits, supply chain finance and emerging markets funds.

She has a Master of Science in Sustainability Management from Columbia University, a Postgraduate Diploma in Policy Studies from the University of London (SOAS) and a Bachelor of Engineering from the National University of Singapore.

Matt Kuchtyak Vice President – Sustainable Finance, Regional Manager Second Party Opinions Americas Moody's Investors Service

Matt Kuchtyak is Vice President – Sustainable Finance for Moody’s ESG Solutions Group (MESG). In this capacity, Matt is responsible for the origination and publication of thematic research related to the global sustainable finance markets. He has authored Moody’s market-leading quarterly sustainable finance market update since its inception in 2015 and has developed into a leading market voice on sustainable finance developments.

Matt leads outreach and engagement on sustainable finance issues, cultivating relationships with asset managers, asset owners, financial institutions, corporations, standard setters and other market participants. He frequently participates in high-profile outreach including investor briefings, webinars, third-party conferences and media engagements. Matt also represents MESG on a variety of industry initiatives, such as the International Capital Market Association’s Green Bond Principles (GBP) working groups.

Before his current role, Matt was an analyst on the ESG team at Moody’s Investors Service (MIS), where he advanced the rating agency’s efforts to systematically and transparently incorporate ESG considerations into its credit ratings. He was a key contributor to the development of MIS’s cross-sector ESG methodology, launch of ESG Issuer Profile Scores and Credit Impact Scores and the development of Carbon Transition Assessments. He was also the lead analyst for the MIS Green Bond Assessments. Previously, Matt was an analyst in the MIS US Public Finance Group, where he served as a lead analyst for a diverse portfolio of hospitals, public and private universities and other not-for-profits.

Matt is a corporate social responsibility (CSR) impact leader, working directly with Moody’s CSR team to shape, communicate and implement the firm's global CSR strategy and initiatives. He holds a B.A. in Economics and Political Science summa cum laude from Rutgers University-New Brunswick, and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa.

Robert White Managing Director, Head of Green & Sustainable Hub - Americas Natixis

Robert is responsible for Natixis’ Green & Sustainable financing and investment solutions for the Americas platform. He works closely with local business lines to assist issuers, borrowers, and investors access the growing and evolving world of green and sustainable finance. Robert works actively, along with the rest of Natixis’ Global green and Sustainable Hub, to enhance Natixis visibility and brand as an expert go-to bank for green & sustainable finance. Recent notable transactions include acting as Sole Sustainability Coordinator for NRG Energy in their inaugural  $900m Sustainability-Linked Bond, the first from a North American issuer, Green Framework Advisor for Vistra in their $1bn Green Perpetual Preferred Stock – the first green preferred from a US corporate; and Sole Sustainability Coordinator for the Mexican Government in their three successive SDG Sovereign Bonds.

Robert brings over 17 years of experience in financial advisory, banking and project finance, with a focus on environmental and sustainable finance. He joined Natixis in January 2019 from National Australia Bank, where he held the position of Director, Specialized Finance, as well as various other roles during his 14-year tenure at the bank.

Robert holds a BSc in Biological Sciences & Psychology from the University of Edinburgh.