Moody’s hosted its first-ever India Open House, a full-day event designed to bridge future talent with global impact in Bengaluru on November 7. The gathering brought together students, graduates and professionals to explore careers in credit, technology and risk, while meeting the leaders shaping Moody’s India story.
The atmosphere was buzzing from the start. “The future belongs to those who are curious, not certain,” the host quipped, setting the tone for a day that celebrated curiosity as a career path.
A Day of Insights and Inclusion
The event opened with Vanessa Youngs, SVP of inclusion at Moody’s, and Francisco Martinez-Garcia, chief inclusion officer and global head of total rewards at the company.
“You’ve done the most important thing a curious professional can do—you’ve shown up,” Youngs said, addressing a room full of early-career attendees. She emphasised that India plays a “strategic hub” role for Moody’s, serving as its second-largest employee base globally.
Martinez-Garcia offered a sweeping view of Moody’s mission: to be the “leading source of relevant insights on exponential risk”. He detailed how the company’s data-driven risk analysis spans climate, cyber, credit and supply chain / know your customer. He highlighted that all elements of risk are interconnected.
“The reason we want to make sure that we talk a lot about AI is because it’s an incredibly powerful tool to connect all those elements,” he said.
This was followed by a lively fireside chat between Youngs and Maral Kazanjian, chief people officer at Moody’s, about how curiosity and inclusion shape the company’s culture. Kazanjian praised the “brilliance and warmth” of the local teams, calling the country “an essential hub” in the company’s global growth.
Kazanjian shared her own journey from law to leading Moody’s people strategy, highlighting the firm’s commitment to AI-driven learning and empowerment.
She highlighted that the future is not about machines taking over humans; it’s about how humans use machines to better humanity.
Ending on an inspiring note, she reminded the audience, “A great woman said, the future belongs to those who believe in the power of their dreams.”
“I want to ask all of you, do you believe in the beauty of your dreams?…I believe in the beauty of my dreams.”
The key discussions ended with an insightful panel discussion led by Sromona Banerjee, AVP of inclusion for APAC, with Deepika Varshini R, manager, talent development, and Marshniel S, SVP of ratings technology at Moody’s.
Banerjee, who joined the company in 2018 as an associate, shared her personal journey of growth and connection within the company. “Did Moody’s give me growth? Yes. Did it make me happy? Very happy. Did I find my family here? Absolutely,” she said, drawing applause from the audience.
She spoke about how inclusion at Moody’s goes beyond diversity programmes and HR frameworks. “It’s about the decisions we make every day to give each other a sense of belonging.”
Her words captured the company’s larger culture of empathy and trust, where employees are encouraged to bring their authentic selves to work.
Meanwhile, Varshini spoke about how Moody’s enabled her to carry her entrepreneurial mindset into the corporate world. Having once founded an edtech startup, she described her work at Moody’s as “a mini startup within a global company”, where she continues to build learning experiences and integrate AI into employee development.
Marshniel, who joined Moody’s after more than two decades in the industry, shared how the company’s culture of openness reignited her sense of purpose. She emphasised that curiosity, combined with the diverse perspectives each individual contributes, is precisely why this is the optimal environment for development and growth.
Together, the speakers conveyed a common message that ran through the day: inclusion, at its core, is about curiosity, respect and the freedom to continue learning.
India’s Story of Growth
In her address to the audience, Vidhi Joshi, VP, people regional partner for Moody’s India, reflected on Moody’s growth journey in India—from a two-person setup operating behind a Bengaluru hotel to a thriving 2,800-member workforce across multiple cities.
“India, at that time, was not just a destination. It was a hub of talent and energy.” Moody’s, according to Joshi, recognised that potential and chose to invest in it.
Her session highlighted India’s role as both an operational backbone and an innovation centre, particularly in analytics, technology and shared services.
Joshi highlighted the essential role of the audience embarking on this journey and co-authoring the narrative. She also noted that the audience has the opportunity to create their own story and contribute to the organisation’s, which will enable the group to achieve a significant collective impact on their organisation, industry and community.
The Voices of Business
The afternoon sessions, led by Moody’s leaders, turned the spotlight on how India contributes to global innovation.
Praneetha Chilumuri, SVP of ratings and research support, explained the fundamentals of credit evaluation: “We live in a world of exponential risk. Understanding how these risks affect our lives, and evaluating them through consistent frameworks, is what our teams do every day.”
Meanwhile, in a technology-focused session, Shravan Varambally, VP of ratings technology, underscored Moody’s “AI-first” approach. He mentioned that AI acts as a “great leveller” due to its rapid transformative power. This technology is integrated across all operations at the company, influencing processes from code development to fundamental business workflows.
Vaishampayan Manu, director of data management and analytics at Moody’s, spoke about the company’s massive data footprint—“550 million companies’ worth of data”—and how analytics and software turn that into actionable insights. “Data is everywhere. But clarity is what creates value,” he noted.
The sessions concluded with Naveen Singh, director at the climate centre of excellence, who outlined Moody’s focus on climate and insurance solutions, reflecting the company’s broader pivot towards sustainability-driven analytics.
AI, Skills and the Future of Work
A hands-on session titled ‘How Moody’s is Leading the Way in GenAI’ delved into the firm’s AI integration.
Complementing the tech talks, a separate hall helped students and professionals gain interview skills and networking strategies sessions, led by senior talent specialists Shreya Salian and Mohd Azhar, who offered practical guidance.
“Read the job description thoroughly and tailor your resume,” advised Salian, while Azhar added, “Preparedness and attitude matter more than perfection.” The duo also discussed how candidates could use GenAI responsibly for interview preparation, not fabrication.
Kabir Aswani, VP of talent development at the company, led an interesting session to teach networking skills through an interactive activity that involved the entire audience.
Curiosity as a Career Compass
By the end of the event, the sentiment was unanimous: attendees were leaving with both clarity and a sense of curiosity. Moody’s leaders mingled with participants, answering questions about careers, culture and growth. There were also live interviews conducted with some of the participants.
For many, the event wasn’t just a recruiting open house, but an experience that blurred the lines between learning and opportunity. “Moody’s isn’t just about ratings and reports. It’s about uncovering meaning amid uncertainties so that organisations and individuals can thrive,” the host had previously said.
That message seemed to echo through the halls all day. Curiosity, as Moody’s proved, can indeed be a career path.
The post Moody’s Calls on India’s Talent to Co-Create the Future of Risk & AI appeared first on Analytics India Magazine.
