NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#creditratingagency–KBRA, a global full-service credit rating agency, today announced the appointment of three senior executives to newly expanded leadership roles. These strategic appointments highlight the company’s continued commitment to its next phase of growth, operational excellence, and delivering market-leading insights to investors and market participants worldwide.
Effective immediately, Eric Thompson has been named Chief Operating Officer, William Cox has been appointed Chief Rating Officer, and Kate Kennedy has been named Chief Corporate Strategy Officer. All three serve as members of KBRA’s Executive Committee and bring deep institutional knowledge along with decades of combined experience leading key initiatives across the firm.
Eric Thompson – Chief Operating Officer
Eric Thompson joined KBRA in 2011, shortly after its founding, to develop KBRA’s offering in the Commercial Real Estate sector. His vision and leadership quickly established KBRA as a trusted authority in structured finance, recognized for its rigorous analysis and investor-first approach. As Head of Structured Finance, Thompson guided the firm’s rapid growth across CMBS, ABS, RMBS, and Structured Credit, where KBRA is widely respected for the depth and clarity of its ratings. In his new role as COO, Thompson will oversee day-to-day operations, ensuring operational discipline and driving strategic execution across business units.
William Cox – Chief Rating Officer
William Cox joined KBRA in 2017 and was appointed Global Head of Corporate, Financial, and Government Ratings (CFG) in 2019. Since then, he has led the strategic expansion of KBRA’s ratings platform across funds, corporates, financial institutions, insurance, public finance, and sovereigns. Cox was the driving force behind KBRA’s private credit and private markets initiatives, which have grown into flagship focus areas for the firm. Under his leadership, KBRA is now widely regarded as a market leader in private credit and private markets data, research, and analysis, providing clarity and depth in an increasingly complex and opaque segment of the market. As Chief Rating Officer, Cox will oversee all rating practices, ensuring consistency, transparency, and analytical rigor across KBRA’s global credit ratings.
Kate Kennedy – Chief Corporate Strategy Officer
Kate Kennedy joined KBRA in 2011 and has held several key leadership roles shaping the firm’s long-term trajectory. As Co-Head of Business Development, she spearheaded the firm’s Investor Relations efforts, playing a central role in shaping KBRA’s early and enduring commitment to the investor community. In 2020, Kennedy was appointed Head of KBRA Analytics, where she helped build and scale the platform into a leading provider of credit data, insights, and research. In her new role, Kennedy will lead KBRA’s long-term growth strategy, including strategic planning, partnerships, regulatory outreach, and expansion into new markets and product lines as well as managing the investor relations and commercial activities of both KBRA’s Ratings and its Analytics businesses.
A Unified Vision for the Future
“These appointments reflect the strength of KBRA’s leadership bench and our commitment to staying ahead of market needs,” said Jim Nadler, CEO of KBRA. “Eric, Bill, and Kate have been instrumental to our growth and success. Their leadership will ensure that KBRA continues to deliver best-in-class ratings, research, and analytics, while positioning us for the opportunities ahead.”
About KBRA
KBRA, one of the major credit rating agencies, is registered in the U.S., EU, and the UK. KBRA is recognized as a Qualified Rating Agency in Taiwan, and is also a Designated Rating Organization for structured finance ratings in Canada. As a full-service credit rating agency, investors can use KBRA ratings for regulatory capital purposes in multiple jurisdictions.
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