Laura Macdonald

Laura is a Managing Director in Public Finance Ratings at S&P Global Rating’s New York office and Analytical Manager for the Education group, the Americas. Laura joined S&P Global Ratings Education group in October 2013. Laura is the group’s manager, providing analytic oversight over the team, coordinating research and thought leadership on over 700 ratings in the not-for-profit higher education and 501c3, and overseeing the training and development of the nearly 20 analysts assigned to the sector. Laura follows a portfolio of high-profile credits around the country, has spoken at numerous conferences, and has authored several commentaries for the group.

Prior to joining the Education Group, Laura was the Ratings Risk Review Officer for Public Finance, covering the Public Finance department on areas related to analytical quality and risk and criteria and regulation. Laura’s prior experience at S&P Global Ratings includes working in US Public Finance in the Healthcare and Transportation sectors. In the transportation group she worked on various hotel, stadium, airport, toll road, mass transit and port transactions as well as numerous public private partnerships. In addition, she has worked in the Global Project Finance Group covering infrastructure projects in transportation, telecommunications and utility sectors located primarily in Latin America, North America and Asia.

Prior to joining S&P Global Ratings, Laura worked for Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, Duke University Medical Center and the Veteran’s Administration Hospital of Durham, North Carolina. She holds an MBA in Finance from New York University’s Leonard N. Stern School of Business and BS in Biology from Duke University in North Carolina. Laura is a member of the National Federation of Municipal Analysts (NFMA), Municipal Analyst Group of New York (MAGNY) and Northeast Women in Public Finance (NEWPF).