OREANDA-NEWS. Fitch Ratings is pleased to announce the appointments of Paul Gamble and Jan Friederich as Analytical Heads of Emerging Europe (EME) and Middle East & Africa (MEA) Sovereign Ratings, respectively. Both appointments are effective immediately.

Mr. Gamble joined Fitch in 2012 as a Director in the MEA team and has been the agency's senior sovereign spokesperson on the Gulf region and the oil sector, also extending his analytical coverage to EME region oil producers such as Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan. As a Senior Director and new Analytical Head of EME Sovereign Ratings, Paul replaces Paul Rawkins, who retired from Fitch in May. He will continue to be based in London, reporting to Ed Parker, Head of EMEA Sovereign Ratings.

Mr Friederich joined Fitch recently as a Senior Director, having spent over 10 years with the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) in various roles in London, New York and Hong Kong including as Custom Research Director, EMEA, and Global Forecasting Director, Asia. Jan will be based in Hong Kong and also report to Ed Parker. He replaces Richard Fox, the previous Analytical Head of the MEA team, who retired from Fitch in April.

"These key appointments reflect our ongoing commitment to excellence in global sovereign ratings," said James McCormack, Global Head of Fitch's Sovereign Ratings Group. "Fitch is a recognised leader in sovereign credit analysis, with strong regional franchises. We believe that Paul's and Jan's knowledge and experience will support our regional profile in the Emerging Europe and Middle East and Africa regions, while also maintaining the high standards of leadership and analytical rigour that our global team has demonstrated consistently over the years".