Douglas Peterson

Douglas L. Peterson
Born	Douglas L. Peterson
Nationality	American
Occupation	Business executive
Title	Executive Chairman, OneChronos
Known for	President and CEO of S&P Global (2013–2023)

Douglas L. Peterson is an American business executive who served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of S&P Global (formerly McGraw Hill Financial) from 2013 to 2023. During his decade-long tenure at the helm of one of the world's largest financial data and analytics companies, Peterson oversaw a period of significant transformation, including the company's rebranding from McGraw Hill Financial to S&P Global and its landmark merger with IHS Markit. Following his retirement from S&P Global, Peterson continued his involvement in the financial services sector, accepting an appointment as Executive Chairman of OneChronos, a technology company focused on optimizing financial markets through auction theory and computer science.

Career

S&P Global

Douglas Peterson served as President and Chief Executive Officer of S&P Global, one of the foremost providers of credit ratings, benchmarks, analytics, and data to the global capital and commodity markets. His tenure as CEO began in 2013, during which time the company underwent substantial strategic and organizational changes. One of the most prominent developments during Peterson's leadership was the rebranding of the company from McGraw Hill Financial to S&P Global, a move that more closely aligned the corporate identity with its most recognized brand, Standard & Poor's.

Under Peterson's leadership, S&P Global expanded its portfolio of data and analytics services and strengthened its position in the global financial information industry. The company's operations spanned credit ratings, market intelligence, commodity insights, and index services, including the management of widely followed benchmarks such as the S&P 500 index.

One of the defining transactions of Peterson's tenure was the merger of S&P Global with IHS Markit, a major data and information services company. The combination of the two firms created one of the largest financial data and analytics enterprises in the world, significantly broadening S&P Global's capabilities across energy, transportation, engineering, and financial services data. The merger was among the largest deals in the financial information industry and positioned the combined company to compete more effectively against rivals in the rapidly consolidating data and analytics sector.

Peterson stepped down from his role as CEO of S&P Global in 2023 after a decade of leadership at the company.

Post-S&P Global career

Following his departure from S&P Global, Peterson remained active in the financial services and technology sectors. In September 2025, OneChronos, a technology company that applies auction theory and computer science to optimize financial markets, announced the appointment of Peterson as its Executive Chairman. The appointment was made to help accelerate the company's global growth initiatives.

OneChronos Markets operates as a trading venue that uses automated auctions to match buyers and sellers in financial markets. The company's approach represents an alternative to traditional continuous trading models and draws on academic research in auction design and optimization. Peterson's appointment to the executive chairman role was reported by Bloomberg and other financial news outlets as a notable move that brought significant corporate leadership experience to the growing fintech firm.

In announcing Peterson's appointment, OneChronos highlighted his extensive experience leading a major global financial services company and his deep understanding of the data, analytics, and market infrastructure landscape. The role of executive chairman positioned Peterson to provide strategic guidance and leverage his network of relationships across the financial industry to support OneChronos's expansion efforts.

Recognition

Peterson's tenure at S&P Global was marked by the company's growth into one of the most prominent financial data and analytics firms globally. His leadership during the IHS Markit merger and the company's rebranding were regarded as significant milestones in the company's history. His subsequent appointment as Executive Chairman of OneChronos reflected his continued standing in the financial services industry, with Bloomberg noting the significance of a former S&P Global CEO joining a fintech venture focused on market structure innovation.