Chief Legal Officer

S&P Global is a leading provider of transparent and independent ratings, benchmarks, analytics, and data to the capital and commodity markets worldwide. With more than a century of trust behind its brands, S&P Global plays a foundational role in the global financial system, transforming data into Essential Intelligence® that enables companies, governments, and individuals to make decisions with conviction. The firm is executing a multi-year enterprise transformation focused on advancing market leadership, expanding high-growth adjacencies, and amplifying enterprise capabilities and AI.

About the Role

This is a successor appointment, reflecting continuity of leadership while positioning the function for the company’s next phase of enterprise transformation. As S&P Global evolves its operating model, accelerates innovation, expands globally, and commercializes AI-enabled capabilities, Legal and Risk are increasingly central—not only as guardians of trust, integrity, and the license to operate, but as strategic enablers of growth.

The Chief Legal Officer will serve as a primary advisor to the Board of Directors and executive leadership on legal, regulatory, risk, and governance matters, and as a trusted strategic partner to the President and CEO. The role is expected to operate not only as a steward of governance and compliance but as a growth-oriented leader, enabling:

• Product innovation and new commercial models
• Strategic partnerships and ecosystem expansion
• Inorganic growth, including M&A
• Deployment of AI, GenAI, and emerging technologies, and continued geographic expansion

Operating at the intersection of law, regulation, risk, data, and technology, this executive will lead an integrated global legal and risk organization responsible for protecting S&P Global’s license to operate while enabling innovation, growth, and transformation across the enterprise.

Responsibilities

• Board, Governance & Public Company Leadership
  • Serve as a principal advisor to the Board and its Committees on corporate governance, securities law, disclosure, enterprise risk oversight, and fiduciary matters.
  • Ensure strong, timely, and decision-ready engagement with the Board, supporting effective oversight during a period of enterprise transformation.
  • Oversee public company obligations, including SEC and stock exchange requirements, in close partnership with Finance, Investor Relations, and senior leadership.
• Growth Enablement & Enterprise Transformation
  • Act as a strategic partner to the business on growth initiatives, including product innovation, new commercial models, strategic partnerships, and geographic expansion.
  • Provide legal leadership on M&A and other strategic transactions, supporting disciplined execution of inorganic growth priorities.
• Regulatory Engagement & External Trust
  • Lead senior-level engagement with key regulators and enforcement bodies, including the SEC, DOJ, and relevant global regulators, ensuring consistency, credibility, and preparedness.
  • Anticipate regulatory and enforcement developments impacting S&P Global’s businesses, advising leadership on emerging risks and strategic implications.
  • Safeguard S&P Global’s reputation as a trusted, independent market institution.
• Enterprise Risk Leadership
  • Provide enterprise leadership on legal and risk governance, setting clear frameworks for issue identification, escalation, and decision-making.
  • Set the tone for the function, ensuring the right balance between protecting the company and enabling responsible innovation.
  • Partner closely with the Chief Risk Officer to ensure alignment across legal, regulatory, operational, technology, and reputational risk within a coherent enterprise model.
• AI, IP, Data & Technology Governance
  • Lead governance frameworks for AI, GenAI, and agentic technologies, ensuring responsible innovation, auditability, defensibility, and regulatory readiness.
  • Define and protect enterprise-wide intellectual property strategy, consistent with S&P Global’s proprietary data, methodologies, benchmarks, and tools.
  • Balance innovation velocity with strong controls across data privacy, security, model governance, and emerging technology risk.
• Litigation & Dispute Strategy
  • Oversee complex litigation and investigations globally, setting strategy, managing risk, and coordinating external counsel in high-stakes matters.
  • Ensure disciplined, enterprise-wide approaches to dispute resolution and risk mitigation.
• Leadership & Transformation
  • Modernize Legal and Risk operations to deliver greater speed, scale, and effectiveness through simplification, redesign, and AI-enabled ways of working.
  • Build and lead a world-class global Legal and Risk team defined by high standards, strong judgment, and clear accountability.
  • Set the leadership tone for disciplined judgment, practical problem-solving, and strong partnership with the business.
  • Strengthen leadership depth and succession while embedding modern capabilities, automation, and new ways of working across the function.

Requirements

• Mandatory prior experience as a General Counsel or Chief Legal Officer in a public company, with direct Board and CEO advisory responsibility.
• Deep experience across governance, securities, regulatory, litigation, and commercial matters in a highly regulated, global environment.
• Experience in regulated, data-rich, IP-intensive, and technology-enabled businesses (e.g., financial services, data, analytics, marketplaces, infrastructure, platforms).
• Credible senior-level regulatory engagement experience, including direct interaction with enforcement bodies and policymakers.
• Demonstrated leadership through enterprise-wide transformation, including operating model evolution, AI/automation adoption, and organizational change.

Leadership Characteristics

The successful candidate will demonstrate all three in equal measure:

• Guardian of Trust – independence, integrity, judgment, and deep respect for S&P Global’s role in global markets.
• Strategic Business Partner – commercial mindset, curiosity, and the ability to enable innovation responsibly.
• Enterprise Leader – calm authority, collaboration skills, and the capacity to lead complex global teams through change.

Benefits

• Health & Wellness: Health care coverage designed for the mind and body.
• Flexible Downtime: Generous time off helps keep you energized.
• Continuous Learning: Access a wealth of resources to grow your career and learn valuable new skills.
• Invest in Your Future: Secure your financial future through competitive pay, retirement planning, a continuing education program with a company-matched student loan contribution, and financial wellness programs.
• Family Friendly Perks: Benefits for partners and dependents, including best-in-class benefits for families.
• Beyond the Basics: Retail discounts and referral incentive awards.

For more information on benefits by country visit: S&P Global Benefits.

Pay

Anticipated base salary range for this position is $575,000 to $625,000 (for US candidates). Final base salary will be based on the individual’s geographic location, experience level, skill set, training, licenses, and certifications. This role is also eligible for an annual incentive plan and additional S&P Global benefits.