Roberto Rivero, Head of Market Development Rating Services, Standard & Poor’s

With the recent downgrading of Greece by Standard & Poor’s, the European markets imploded, Germany was subjected to a humiliating stand-down with France, the euro lost most of its value, and there were real concerns that the Eurozone may come to an end. 

These fears proved to be over-stated, but it did show the real power that credit rating agencies such as Standard & Poor’s have over the markets.

So what are credit rating agencies really all about and how do they work?

• What is the role and meaning of a rating?
• What have ratings firms learnt from recent market events?
• What are the independent and regulatory measures being used to restore market confidence in ratings
• A glimpse at what's to come: future trends

Roberto Rivero is responsible for Marketing and Investor Relations for Standard & Poor’s Rating Services in the EMEA region. His 25-year career has included senior positions in Sales, Marketing and Product Development.  More recent roles include Head of Sales & Marketing at the London Stock Exchange, Product Marketing Director at Fidessa and Head of Product Management & Marketing at Thomson Financial.

Matt Colebrook,   CEO, First Direct
First Direct has been one of the UK’s leading remote banks without branches since its launch in 1989.  Celerating its 20th birthday last year year, the bank now employs 2,800 people at Stourton in Leeds.  It has one many awards, including the best call centre in the UK for customer service by independent market research company GfK NOP, and the internet bank is benefiting from the current banking turmoil as savers seek out safe havens.

David Laws, former Chief Secretary to the Treasury

In partnership with the Industry & Parliamentary Trust

David Anthony Laws has been Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for Yeovil since 2001.  After the 2010 general election, David led the negotiations for the Liberal Democrats that resulted in a coalition with the Conservative Party. He then held the post of Chief Secretary to the Treasury.

After a career in investment banking, Laws became an economic adviser and later Director of Policy and Research for the Liberal Democrats. In 2004, he co-edited The Orange Book: Reclaiming Liberalism, followed by Britain After Blair in 2006.