If you ask me? Commentary by Joachim C Bartels
Prior to the announcement that Stephen Tulenko was named CEO of Dun & Bradstreet (D&B), there was considerable speculation about his next move.
Nevertheless, his high-profile resignation as President of Moody’s Analytics, effective September 2, put the spotlight on Moody’s, with the public, analysts, and investors wondering how the company would manage such an executive change. Tulenko had an impressive track record, was highly regarded by analysts and investors, and his exit from Moody’s created some “short-term uncertainty” for the company.
Naturally, this strong reputation led to keen interest in where such a respected leader would land. That speculation ended on September 3, 2025, when it was publicly announced that Stephen Tulenko had been appointed CEO of Dun & Bradstreet, effective immediately.
Tulenko has his work cut out for him at D&B, as he faces the challenge of lifting the company from its doldrums of low revenue growth. One might say this is precisely the kind of challenge Tulenko has prepared himself for.
Under his leadership, Moody’s Analytics grew from a modest player into a powerhouse—acquiring Bureau van Dijk, sweeping up Cortera, making strategic tuck-in acquisitions, and fully exploiting its analytical capabilities. The division eventually rivaled Moody’s Investors Service in terms of revenue. Within the credit information industry, there is broad consensus that Moody’s Analytics had become D&B’s most formidable competitor.
In recent years, much of our industry’s growth has been driven by acquisitions. D&B’s core competitors invested billions in new technology and services. Unfortunately, D&B’s previous owners did not pursue such strategies with the same vigor. There was little capital available to support growth. Hopefully, its new leadership and owners have such growth alternatives in mind.
I wish Stephen Tulenko the very best of luck in his new endeavor.
Joachim C Bartels
Data and Analytics Industry Veteran to Drive Innovation and AI Solutions at Dun & Bradstreet
JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Sept. 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Dun & Bradstreet, a leading global provider of business decisioning data and analytics, backed by Clearlake Capital Group, L.P. (together with its affiliates, “Clearlake”), today announced Stephen Tulenko as Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective immediately. Mr. Tulenko joins from Moody’s Corporation, where he built a distinguished 35-year career, most recently serving as President of Moody’s Analytics. Mr. Tulenko succeeds Anthony Jabbour, who will continue to serve in an advisory capacity to ensure a seamless transition.
James Pade, Partner and Managing Director at Clearlake said, “Steve is the ideal leader to guide Dun & Bradstreet into its next phase of growth and innovation. Building on a strong record of driving results at Moody’s Analytics, Steve brings deep understanding of the business and is a thought leader in innovating with Generative AI. His leadership, respected across the industry, will help Dun & Bradstreet uncover new opportunities to drive innovation and support its customers in leveraging the full potential of their data.”
“Dun & Bradstreet provides data and analytical insights that power global commerce, and I am excited to have the opportunity to build upon a remarkable legacy,” said Tulenko. “As we move forward together as a private company, my focus will be to drive growth that springs forth through the trust and confidence Dun & Bradstreet brings to every business relationship. For over 180 years, this organization has been delivering value to customers, and as we look to the agentic future, we believe the best is yet to come. Our customers’ success is our success, and we aim to generate a lot of it.”
“I believe Steve not only brings the right experience and vision to guide Dun & Bradstreet forward, but also a genuine appreciation for the capabilities that we have and the transformation that we have achieved,” said Jabbour. “His impressive tenure at Moody’s Analytics is marked by a history of driving meaningful results and energizing teams, a testament to the caliber of leadership he brings to this role. To support this transition, I look forward to remaining engaged in an advisory capacity, as Steve leads the team forward. I would also like to thank the incredibly talented team at Dun & Bradstreet for all their contributions to our business.”
About Dun & Bradstreet
Dun & Bradstreet, a leading global provider of business decisioning data and analytics, enables companies around the world to improve their business performance. Dun & Bradstreet’s Data Cloud fuels solutions and delivers insights that empower customers to accelerate revenue, lower cost, mitigate risk, and transform their businesses. Since 1841, companies of every size have relied on Dun & Bradstreet to help them manage risk and reveal opportunity. For more information on Dun & Bradstreet, please visit www.dnb.com.
About Clearlake
Clearlake Capital Group is a global investment firm managing integrated platforms spanning private equity, liquid and private credit, and other related strategies. Founded in 2006, the firm has more than $90 billion of assets under management and has led or co-led over 400 investments globally. With deep knowledge and operational expertise across the technology, industrials, and consumer sectors, Clearlake seeks to partner with experienced management teams, providing patient, long-term capital and aiming to drive value through its active hands-on operating approach, O.P.S.® (Operations, People, Strategy). Headquartered in Santa Monica, Clearlake maintains a global footprint with offices in Dallas, New York, London, Dublin, Luxembourg, Abu Dhabi, and Singapore. For more information, please visit clearlake.com or follow us on LinkedIn.
Source: Dun & Bradstreet, Inc.