Eileen X. Zhang, CFA - CREDIT RATING ON SLOVAKIA

Eileen Zhang of Standard & Poor's presented Slovakia's rating evolution in past 15 years from BB- in 1994 to A in 2008 as well as positive impact on rating after adopting Euro currency, when companies will no longer be exposed to rating ceiling given by country's rating. Slovak banks are not dependent on external financing. Eileen presents positive long term trend and conditions to A+ upgrade assuming the Slovak Government manages inflation in the medium term.

About Eileen Zhang:

Eileen X. Zhang, is an Associate Director in the European Sovereign Ratings Group at Standard & Poor's, where she has worked since July 2002. Her current direct analytical responsibilities include Slovak Republic, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia and Lithuania. She was also the primary analyst of an extensive list of other sovereign issuers in Europe, including Cyprus, Greece, Malta, Netherlands and Sweden. Her key publications at Standard & Poor's also include the annual updated Fiscal Flexibility Index for European sovereigns, cross-country comparisons on fiscal rules and quantitative criteria refinement of external liquidity analysis.  Prior to joining S&P, Eileen worked as an assistant to Chief economist at Credit Agricole Asset Management. She holds a B.A. in Economics from Bard College (USA), and an M.Sc. in Economics from the London School of Economics. Eileen has been a CFA charterholder since 2005.

See the presentation here