Before joining S&P Global in 2010 as vice president of operations for the ratings division, Martina Cheung worked as a management consultant.
The work gave her opportunities to advise clients on strategy, transformation and growth, but also a chance to lead. This year, Cheung is taking on her biggest leadership role yet.
On November 1, she is slated to become president and CEO of New York City-based S&P Global. She is succeeding Doug Peterson, who has been CEO of the ratings and research company since 2013.
"If I had not been empowered and supported in my growth by so many others, I would not have been able to do some of the more exciting things in my career working with fintechs, airlines, banks, tech companies and at S&P Global," Cheung said.
S&P Global may be 160 years old, but Cheung sees more ahead of the company than behind it. "I'm proud to have the opportunity to guide our business and our extraordinary people across the globe," she said.
In her previous roles within the company, Cheung established a track record of growth and innovation. She has worked as the company's chief strategy officer, where she helped set priorities for growth and innovation. She also headed risk services for S&P Global Market Intelligence before becoming its president in 2019. For the last two years, she has been president of the ratings division, which recorded annual revenue of $3.3 billion in 2023, a 9% increase over the previous year.
Cheung has also led due diligence for S&P Global's largest acquisitions: the $140 billion integration of IHS Markit in 2022 and the $2.23 billion acquisition of SNL Financial in 2015.
In addition, Cheung oversaw the development of new products designed to keep S&P at the vanguard of emerging technologies and a changing market. The products include assessment tools designed to help investors in stablecoins and to gauge how well-rated entities are prepared for a low-carbon, climate-resilient future. Another is a proprietary internal tool using generative artificial intelligence, which is helping S&P shape how its clients and the broader market implement the technology.
Cheung embraces her responsibility to empower others interested in leadership roles. She is the executive sponsor of the women's initiative for networking and success, a 7,000-member resource group inside S&P Global. As part of her role, she has created and hosted a series of fireside chats with other women in the C-suite. Guests have included NYSE Group President Lynn Martin, Accenture CEO Julie Sweet and former Desjardins Group Chair and CEO Monique Leroux.
The conversations were ones that Cheung said she would have wanted to hear in the early years of her career.
"The WINS 'Trailblazer Series' is special to me because it offered employees with a unique opportunity to connect with each other and hear from C-suite female leaders across a variety of industries and geographies who were eager to share personal learnings and candid career advice," said Cheung, who described the conversations as "honest, insightful and refreshing."
