S&P – “Decent place to work but filled with banality”

Pros

S&P provides an environment to learn and, with regard to the finance industry is not a pressure-cooker. It is as demanding as one wants it, probably less so.

Cons

The place is filled to the rim with mediocrity. The inertia of the place (no innovation, weak leadership, thoughtlessness, lack of curiosity, laziness) will probably end when regulation catches up. S&P could not exist, in its current form, in a demanding, competetive market. It has evolved as a oligopoly and has never had to innovate beyond changing its archaic "criteria" every once in a while - usually after a miserable performance vis a vis downgrades.

Advice to Senior Management

Work harder to award innovation, intelligence, efficiency. Forget about how S&P has done things in the past.