Standard and Poor's sets up shop in Ireland

DUBLIN, Ireland - One of the major international credit rating agencies S&P Global Ratings this week inaugurated their new European headquarters in Dublin.

The Irish headquarters will be the hub of a very strong EMEA network spanning 13 offices. A mix of employees who have relocated from existing international offices and new hires in Ireland fully staff the office, which includes senior management, an experienced team of analysts, compliance and support staff.

“We are thrilled to be in Ireland. This country has a vibrant financial services ecosystem and we look forward to playing our part in developing it further. Historically, Ireland has shown it can play a leading role in innovation in capital markets as well as in advancing new financial technology," John Berisford, President of S&P Global Ratings said Thursday.

"We were attracted by the country’s talent pool, connections to the rest of our European network, and its strong track record as an operating environment. Our new Dublin office is a key milestone in our journey to expand into new markets and attract talent.”

Senior leaders of the company, which has a history dating back 150 years, turned out in  force with Martin Shanahan, CEO of IDA Ireland for the opening ceremony on Thursday.

The Minister for Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform, Paschal Donohoe, later officially inaugurated the new Dublin office at a formal reception that night.

“S&P Global Ratings is a most welcome addition to Ireland’s growing financial services community. This location decision underscores the attractiveness of Ireland for investment in highly-skilled, knowledge intensive areas of activity, particularly the financial services," Donohoe said.

“We have put significant investment over the past number of decades into developing our stock of human capital to ensure we have the necessary skills and talent base. This is now reflected in the types of internationally focused businesses locating to Ireland, such as S&P Global Ratings, which are creating high value positions.”   

Martin Shanahan, CEO, IDA Ireland, added: “S&P Global Ratings' choice of Dublin to locate this strategically important investment contributes to Ireland’s reputation as a hub for the international financial services sector within the EU.”

S&P Global Ratings publishes more than 50 global-scale ratings on Irish companies, banks, infrastructure projects, structured finance transactions, and the country’s sovereign debt.  

“We are delighted to be here in Dublin and have a solid base from which to continue our support for this market through multi-sector ratings, as well as providing essential intelligence and critical insights,” David Gordon, Country Head Ireland, S&P Global Ratings said Thursday.