Barbara Ridpath is Chief Executive of the International Centre for Financial Regulation. Prior to her current position, from 2004-2008, Barbara was Executive Managing Director and Head of Ratings Services, Europe, for Standard & Poor's, responsible for Standard & Poor's rating activities in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Before that she was Managing Director and Chief Credit Officer, Europe based in Standard & Poor's London office, where she was responsible for the development and application of ratings policy in Europe including its global consistency. Barbara joined S&P in 1983 after three years as an economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. She worked in S&P's European network from 1986, holding a broad range of positions. Barbara spearheaded S&P's move into international securitisation based in London in the late 1980s, and ran S&P-ADEF in Paris from 1990 to 1993. From 1993 to 1998 Barbara was a Senior Credit Officer at JPMorgan Europe, rejoining S&P in 1998. Barbara holds an A.B. degree cum laude from Smith College and a Masters in International Affairs from Columbia University.