New shock, new trends: Are sovereigns braced for a new reality?
The global ripple effect of the Russia-Ukraine conflict is resulting in volatile recovery across nations, and as yet another indication that resetting trends are on the rise.
Will the deterioration of growth prospects coupled with rising inflation and tightening financial conditions possibly bring about a global recession? If so, how will nations fair?
Hear from leading market players and credit experts on the pursuit of globalization and the implications for sovereigns’ economic strength, external position and policy effectiveness.
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Agenda14:35 - 15:20SGT
Treading water – will credit quality remain stable amid difficult cross currents
The APAC region is poised to be resilient as inflation pressures ease and growth stabilizes. At the same time, weaker global growth and higher global rates will dampen any recovery. Will sovereign credit profiles remain resilient in the face of higher sovereign debt loads and weaker debt affordability? Geopolitics adds uncertainty to the region.
- What is the outlook for Asian inflation and interest rates, with global central bank tightening?
- How will China’s challenges from COVID and the property downturn impact the rest of Asia?
- How will geopolitics affect the economic landscape?
15:20 - 16:05SGTThe global view - Unique crisis or temporary setback?
Yet again, the global economy is in the midst of a turbulent phase. Will rate hikes end up squeezing demand and triggering stagflation? Will this too pass or will it mark the start of a crisis that leaves long-lasting scars?
- The Global view – Is the world economy heading for a gradual slowdown or another crisis?
- Global risks - Is stagflation in Europe a tail risk or reality?
- China – Can the property market correction be contained, or is it the start of the country’s “Japan-ification”?
- APAC – What bright spots as the region copes with a strong dollar, deglobalisation, China’s slowdown?
16:10SGTEvent concludes
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SpeakersDr. Michael Taylor Managing Director, Chief Credit Officer, Asia Pacific Moody's Investors Service
Wendy Cheong Managing Director – Regional Head of Asia Pacific Moody's Investors Service
Christian de Guzman Senior Vice President, Sovereign Risk Moody's Ratings
Gene Fang Associate Managing Director, Sovereign Risk Moody's Investors Service
Steve Cochrane Chief APAC Economist Moody's Analytics
Nishad Majmudar Assistant Vice President – Analyst, Sovereign Risk and Credit Strategy & Research Moody's Investors Service
Marie Diron Managing Director, Sovereign Risk Moody's Ratings
Alicia García Herrero Chief Economist Natixis
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Wendy Cheong is a senior management and strategy professional with over 22 years of experience in leading and transforming international business operations.
She is currently Managing Director-Regional Head of Asia Pacific for Moody’s Investors Service (MIS), based in Hong Kong. In this role, Wendy develops and leads Moody’s growth strategy in both developed and emerging markets in the region. Wendy is the senior representative for Moody’s in Asia Pacific and is responsible for managing regional operations, overseeing policy and regulatory outreach, coordinating Moody’s global initiatives, and providing oversight of affiliates, joint ventures and MIS domestic market strategies in the region.
Wendy joined Moody's in 2010 as an Assistant Director at Content Strategy in Moody’s Analytics, and has since held senior positions in strategy and management roles across business lines in Hong Kong and New York to build strategic vision, drive business growth and enhance market impact. She has served as Chief of Staff to the President of Moody’s Investors Service; Representative Director for MIS in Hong Kong, while also serving as Senior Vice President – Head of APAC Strategy & Business Management; and Director and Senior Product Strategist at Moody’s Analytics. Wendy sits as a Director on the boards of a majority of Moody’s Asia entities and affiliates in the region.
Wendy is a member of Moody’s Global Diversity Council and founded the Moody’s Women’s Employee Resource Group in Asia Pacific. She held leadership roles in several external women in finance organizations, including 100 Women in Finance and the Women in Finance Association of the Asia Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (ASIFMA). She is currently a member of the Asian Venture Philanthropy Network (AVPN), a leading network of over 600 organizations across 34 countries that mobilizes capital for impact investing.
Before joining Moody’s, Wendy held senior strategy, sales and marketing positions at Prudential PLC, as well as at Singapore Telecoms in Hong Kong and Singapore.
She holds a BA in Southeast Asian Studies from the National University of Singapore.
Gene Fang is an Associate Managing Director in the Sovereign and sub-sovereign Ratings Group in Asia. Based in Singapore, he manages the teams responsible for sovereign credit ratings in the Asia Pacific region and credit research on Chinese regional- and local governments.
Before joining Moody’s, Gene worked as an investment banker, covering financial institutions for J.P. Morgan and Citigroup in Hong Kong and Singapore. In this role, he managed client relationships across Asia and advised on debt, equity, and M&A transactions. Gene graduated from Columbia University in political science. He also holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a Master in Public Policy from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.
Christian de Guzman is a Senior Vice President with Moody’s Sovereign and Sub-Sovereign Risk Group. Based in Singapore, he covers a portfolio of sovereigns and multilateral development banks in Asia Pacific, including Japan, India and a number of Southeast Asian credits, while also managing the team responsible for sub-sovereign ratings in Asia ex-China.
Christian joined Moody’s in 2009, after working as a Senior Economist for the Monetary Authority of Singapore, covering ASEAN economies. He has also held various positions with the Research Department at the International Monetary Fund in Washington DC, and Procter & Gamble in Singapore.
Christian was a Phi Beta Kappa graduate in Economics and Political Science at the University of Georgia and received his M.A. in International Economics and Southeast Asian Studies from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies.
Nishad Majmudar is an Assistant Vice President and Analyst within Moody’s Sovereign Risk Group. Based in Singapore, Nishad covers a portfolio of sovereign credits across Asia-Pacific and writes thematic research on environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues in the region.
Before joining Moody’s in 2020, Nishad was a risk officer in Wells Fargo Bank in Singapore, responsible for setting internal credit ratings for countries in APAC. Prior to that, Nishad was an economist for the U.S. Department of the Treasury, where he specialized in South Asian economies.
Nishad graduated from Syracuse University with degrees in journalism and economics, and holds a Master’s in International Affairs from Columbia University and a Master’s in International Political Economy from the London School of Economics.
Steven G. Cochrane, PhD, is Chief APAC Economist with Moody’s Analytics. He leads the Asia economic analysis and forecasting activities of the Moody’s Analytics research team, as well as the continual expansion of the company’s international, national and subnational forecast models. In addition, Steve directs consulting projects for clients to help them understand the effect of regional economic developments on their business under baseline forecasts and alternative scenarios. Steve’s expertise lies in providing clear insights into an area’s or region’s strengths, weaknesses and comparative advantages, relative to macro or global economic trends.
A highly-regarded speaker, Dr. Cochrane has provided economic insights at hundreds of engagements over the past 20 years and has been featured on CNBC, CNA, Bloomberg TV, Wall Street Radio, and the PBS News Hour. Through his research and presentations, Steve dissects how various components of the macro and regional economies shape patterns of growth. His extensive expertise on U.S. and global economic issues makes also him a popular speaker at client conferences and executive briefings.
Steve holds a PhD from the University of Pennsylvania and is a Penn Institute for Urban Research Scholar. He also holds a master's degree from the University of Colorado at Denver and a bachelor's degree from the University of California at Davis.
Dr. Michael Taylor is a Managing Director for Moody’s Investors Service. He is also Moody’s Chief Credit Officer for the Asia Pacific region.
Michael leads regional research, particularly with a cross-sectoral and macro credit focus, as well as coordinating major regional analytical initiatives.
Michael joined Moody’s after a distinguished career in several leading central banks and international financial institutions, including roles at the Bank of England, the IMF — where as Resident Representative, he was closely involved in the resolution of the Indonesian financial crisis in the late 1990s — and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority as Head of Banking Policy. He was also the Advisor to the Governor of the Central Bank of Bahrain.
Michael has also had a distinguished academic career, including as Reader in Financial Regulation at Reading University. He has published widely on financial stability and financial regulation, and given seminars and lectures at the Said Business School at Oxford University, at Harvard Law School, Columbia University, and The University of Hong Kong.
Michael holds a bachelor’s degree as well as a doctorate from Oxford University. He also holds a master’s in International Business Law from the University of London.
Alicia García Herrero is the Chief Economist for Asia Pacific at Natixis. She also serves as
Senior Fellow at the Brussels-based European think-tank BRUEGEL, a non-resident Senior
Follow at the East Asian Institute (EAI) of the National University Singapore (NUS) and a
Member of the Board of the Center for Asia-Pacific Resilience and Innovation (CAPRI). Alicia
is also Adjunct Professor at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. Finally,
Alicia is a Member of the Council of Advisors on Economic Affairs to the Spanish
Government and an advisor to the Hong Kong Monetary Authority’s research arm (HKIMR)
among other advisory and teaching positions.
In previous years, Alicia held the following positions: Chief Economist for Emerging Markets
at Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BBVA), Member of the Asian Research Program at the
Bank of International Settlements (BIS), Head of the International Economy Division of the
Bank of Spain, Member of the Counsel to the Executive Board of the European Central
Bank, Head of Emerging Economies at the Research Department at Banco Santander, and
Economist at the International Monetary Fund. As regards her academic career, Alicia has
served as visiting Professor at John Hopkins University (SAIS program), China Europe
International Business School (CEIBS) and Carlos III University.
Alicia holds a PhD in Economics from George Washington University and has published
extensively in refereed journals and books (see her publications in ResearchGate, Google
Scholar, SSRN or REPEC). Alicia is also very active in international media (BBC,
Bloomberg, CNBC and CNN) as well as social media (LinkedIn and Twitter). As a
recognition, Alicia was included in the TOP Voices in Economy and Finance by LinkedIn in
2017 and #6 Top Social Media leader by Refinitiv in 2020.
Marie Diron heads the Sovereign Risk Group for Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa, and Sub-Sovereign Risk Group for Asia Pacific and EMEA. She is responsible for analytical teams covering more than 70 sovereign ratings, 15 Multilateral Development Banks and around 400 sub-sovereign ratings in about 30 countries. Marie is also a project owner of Moody’s Investors Service’s ESG scores, which were launched in early 2021.
Marie has worked as Moody’s lead sovereign analyst for a number of Asia Pacific credits, including China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, India, Sri Lanka and Australia. Marie has also worked in Moody’s Credit Policy, leading a number of macroeconomic analyses, including our regular Global Macro Outlook and other credit research work. Marie was previously Director at Oxford Economics, leading the company’s forecasting and scenario analysis service to financial sector and corporate clients, after a number of years at the European Central Bank and Brevan Howard LLP. Marie received a MPhil in Economics from the University of Cambridge and graduated from the Ecole Centrale Paris.
Wendy Cheong is a senior management and strategy professional with over 22 years of experience in leading and transforming international business operations.
She is currently Managing Director-Regional Head of Asia Pacific for Moody’s Investors Service (MIS), based in Hong Kong. In this role, Wendy develops and leads Moody’s growth strategy in both developed and emerging markets in the region. Wendy is the senior representative for Moody’s in Asia Pacific and is responsible for managing regional operations, overseeing policy and regulatory outreach, coordinating Moody’s global initiatives, and providing oversight of affiliates, joint ventures and MIS domestic market strategies in the region.
Wendy joined Moody's in 2010 as an Assistant Director at Content Strategy in Moody’s Analytics, and has since held senior positions in strategy and management roles across business lines in Hong Kong and New York to build strategic vision, drive business growth and enhance market impact. She has served as Chief of Staff to the President of Moody’s Investors Service; Representative Director for MIS in Hong Kong, while also serving as Senior Vice President – Head of APAC Strategy & Business Management; and Director and Senior Product Strategist at Moody’s Analytics. Wendy sits as a Director on the boards of a majority of Moody’s Asia entities and affiliates in the region.
Wendy is a member of Moody’s Global Diversity Council and founded the Moody’s Women’s Employee Resource Group in Asia Pacific. She held leadership roles in several external women in finance organizations, including 100 Women in Finance and the Women in Finance Association of the Asia Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (ASIFMA). She is currently a member of the Asian Venture Philanthropy Network (AVPN), a leading network of over 600 organizations across 34 countries that mobilizes capital for impact investing.
Before joining Moody’s, Wendy held senior strategy, sales and marketing positions at Prudential PLC, as well as at Singapore Telecoms in Hong Kong and Singapore.
She holds a BA in Southeast Asian Studies from the National University of Singapore.
Dr. Michael Taylor is a Managing Director for Moody’s Investors Service. He is also Moody’s Chief Credit Officer for the Asia Pacific region.
Michael leads regional research, particularly with a cross-sectoral and macro credit focus, as well as coordinating major regional analytical initiatives.
Michael joined Moody’s after a distinguished career in several leading central banks and international financial institutions, including roles at the Bank of England, the IMF — where as Resident Representative, he was closely involved in the resolution of the Indonesian financial crisis in the late 1990s — and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority as Head of Banking Policy. He was also the Advisor to the Governor of the Central Bank of Bahrain.
Michael has also had a distinguished academic career, including as Reader in Financial Regulation at Reading University. He has published widely on financial stability and financial regulation, and given seminars and lectures at the Said Business School at Oxford University, at Harvard Law School, Columbia University, and The University of Hong Kong.
Michael holds a bachelor’s degree as well as a doctorate from Oxford University. He also holds a master’s in International Business Law from the University of London.
Wendy Cheong is a senior management and strategy professional with over 22 years of experience in leading and transforming international business operations.
She is currently Managing Director-Regional Head of Asia Pacific for Moody’s Investors Service (MIS), based in Hong Kong. In this role, Wendy develops and leads Moody’s growth strategy in both developed and emerging markets in the region. Wendy is the senior representative for Moody’s in Asia Pacific and is responsible for managing regional operations, overseeing policy and regulatory outreach, coordinating Moody’s global initiatives, and providing oversight of affiliates, joint ventures and MIS domestic market strategies in the region.
Wendy joined Moody's in 2010 as an Assistant Director at Content Strategy in Moody’s Analytics, and has since held senior positions in strategy and management roles across business lines in Hong Kong and New York to build strategic vision, drive business growth and enhance market impact. She has served as Chief of Staff to the President of Moody’s Investors Service; Representative Director for MIS in Hong Kong, while also serving as Senior Vice President – Head of APAC Strategy & Business Management; and Director and Senior Product Strategist at Moody’s Analytics. Wendy sits as a Director on the boards of a majority of Moody’s Asia entities and affiliates in the region.
Wendy is a member of Moody’s Global Diversity Council and founded the Moody’s Women’s Employee Resource Group in Asia Pacific. She held leadership roles in several external women in finance organizations, including 100 Women in Finance and the Women in Finance Association of the Asia Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (ASIFMA). She is currently a member of the Asian Venture Philanthropy Network (AVPN), a leading network of over 600 organizations across 34 countries that mobilizes capital for impact investing.
Before joining Moody’s, Wendy held senior strategy, sales and marketing positions at Prudential PLC, as well as at Singapore Telecoms in Hong Kong and Singapore.
She holds a BA in Southeast Asian Studies from the National University of Singapore.
Christian de Guzman is a Senior Vice President with Moody’s Sovereign and Sub-Sovereign Risk Group. Based in Singapore, he covers a portfolio of sovereigns and multilateral development banks in Asia Pacific, including Japan, India and a number of Southeast Asian credits, while also managing the team responsible for sub-sovereign ratings in Asia ex-China.
Christian joined Moody’s in 2009, after working as a Senior Economist for the Monetary Authority of Singapore, covering ASEAN economies. He has also held various positions with the Research Department at the International Monetary Fund in Washington DC, and Procter & Gamble in Singapore.
Christian was a Phi Beta Kappa graduate in Economics and Political Science at the University of Georgia and received his M.A. in International Economics and Southeast Asian Studies from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies.
Gene Fang is an Associate Managing Director in the Sovereign and sub-sovereign Ratings Group in Asia. Based in Singapore, he manages the teams responsible for sovereign credit ratings in the Asia Pacific region and credit research on Chinese regional- and local governments.
Before joining Moody’s, Gene worked as an investment banker, covering financial institutions for J.P. Morgan and Citigroup in Hong Kong and Singapore. In this role, he managed client relationships across Asia and advised on debt, equity, and M&A transactions. Gene graduated from Columbia University in political science. He also holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a Master in Public Policy from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.
Steven G. Cochrane, PhD, is Chief APAC Economist with Moody’s Analytics. He leads the Asia economic analysis and forecasting activities of the Moody’s Analytics research team, as well as the continual expansion of the company’s international, national and subnational forecast models. In addition, Steve directs consulting projects for clients to help them understand the effect of regional economic developments on their business under baseline forecasts and alternative scenarios. Steve’s expertise lies in providing clear insights into an area’s or region’s strengths, weaknesses and comparative advantages, relative to macro or global economic trends.
A highly-regarded speaker, Dr. Cochrane has provided economic insights at hundreds of engagements over the past 20 years and has been featured on CNBC, CNA, Bloomberg TV, Wall Street Radio, and the PBS News Hour. Through his research and presentations, Steve dissects how various components of the macro and regional economies shape patterns of growth. His extensive expertise on U.S. and global economic issues makes also him a popular speaker at client conferences and executive briefings.
Steve holds a PhD from the University of Pennsylvania and is a Penn Institute for Urban Research Scholar. He also holds a master's degree from the University of Colorado at Denver and a bachelor's degree from the University of California at Davis.
Nishad Majmudar is an Assistant Vice President and Analyst within Moody’s Sovereign Risk Group. Based in Singapore, Nishad covers a portfolio of sovereign credits across Asia-Pacific and writes thematic research on environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues in the region.
Before joining Moody’s in 2020, Nishad was a risk officer in Wells Fargo Bank in Singapore, responsible for setting internal credit ratings for countries in APAC. Prior to that, Nishad was an economist for the U.S. Department of the Treasury, where he specialized in South Asian economies.
Nishad graduated from Syracuse University with degrees in journalism and economics, and holds a Master’s in International Affairs from Columbia University and a Master’s in International Political Economy from the London School of Economics.
Marie Diron heads the Sovereign Risk Group for Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa, and Sub-Sovereign Risk Group for Asia Pacific and EMEA. She is responsible for analytical teams covering more than 70 sovereign ratings, 15 Multilateral Development Banks and around 400 sub-sovereign ratings in about 30 countries. Marie is also a project owner of Moody’s Investors Service’s ESG scores, which were launched in early 2021.
Marie has worked as Moody’s lead sovereign analyst for a number of Asia Pacific credits, including China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, India, Sri Lanka and Australia. Marie has also worked in Moody’s Credit Policy, leading a number of macroeconomic analyses, including our regular Global Macro Outlook and other credit research work. Marie was previously Director at Oxford Economics, leading the company’s forecasting and scenario analysis service to financial sector and corporate clients, after a number of years at the European Central Bank and Brevan Howard LLP. Marie received a MPhil in Economics from the University of Cambridge and graduated from the Ecole Centrale Paris.
Alicia García Herrero is the Chief Economist for Asia Pacific at Natixis. She also serves as
Senior Fellow at the Brussels-based European think-tank BRUEGEL, a non-resident Senior
Follow at the East Asian Institute (EAI) of the National University Singapore (NUS) and a
Member of the Board of the Center for Asia-Pacific Resilience and Innovation (CAPRI). Alicia
is also Adjunct Professor at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. Finally,
Alicia is a Member of the Council of Advisors on Economic Affairs to the Spanish
Government and an advisor to the Hong Kong Monetary Authority’s research arm (HKIMR)
among other advisory and teaching positions.
In previous years, Alicia held the following positions: Chief Economist for Emerging Markets
at Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BBVA), Member of the Asian Research Program at the
Bank of International Settlements (BIS), Head of the International Economy Division of the
Bank of Spain, Member of the Counsel to the Executive Board of the European Central
Bank, Head of Emerging Economies at the Research Department at Banco Santander, and
Economist at the International Monetary Fund. As regards her academic career, Alicia has
served as visiting Professor at John Hopkins University (SAIS program), China Europe
International Business School (CEIBS) and Carlos III University.
Alicia holds a PhD in Economics from George Washington University and has published
extensively in refereed journals and books (see her publications in ResearchGate, Google
Scholar, SSRN or REPEC). Alicia is also very active in international media (BBC,
Bloomberg, CNBC and CNN) as well as social media (LinkedIn and Twitter). As a
recognition, Alicia was included in the TOP Voices in Economy and Finance by LinkedIn in
2017 and #6 Top Social Media leader by Refinitiv in 2020.