MARCH 8 MARKS INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY, and from March to May we’ll be celebrating and reflecting on all the progress women, and other under-represented groups, have made—not only in our local financial community but internationally—across disciplines, industries, and cultures. CFA Society Toronto has proudly held its position as a champion of positive change since its establishment in 1936, when it was founded on the principle of supporting the professional development and advancement of CFA charterholders, free of discrimination and biases. Our efforts to build a fair and flexible investment culture—and to challenge conscious and unconscious biases—is not just limited to a day, month, or time of year. It’s an ongoing commitment.

Some of the Society’s initiatives include the Alpha Project, a gender diversity initiative that pairs mentors, both female and male, from senior financial backgrounds with female protégés. On January 18, the Society hosted its last series of luncheons for the Alpha Project. The project came to be in 2015, after Marg Franklin, one of our most senior and celebrated volunteers, was awarded the Alfred C. “Pete” Morley Distinguished Service Award. She used the reward money to put together and fully fund a project to help young up-and-coming women in the financial industry gain access to the networks required to strengthen their skills by providing the mentorship of seasoned practitioners in our membership. Society mentors work with their protégées for 18 months, and, since the launch of the project, many of the project’s protégées have applied the skills they’ve learned either to take on new opportunities or to advance in their professions. We’re currently in the process of creating metrics to document and quantify the efforts of this unique project, and hope to see its continuation and cross-Society adaptation.

Additionally, on September 18 and 19, we’ll host CFA Institute’s 2017 Alpha and Gender Diversity Conference at the Westin Harbour Castle. The conference is part of CFA Institute’s Women in Investment Management Initiative, an ongoing effort to build the business case for diversity in the investment profession. The initiative’s goals are to increase the number of women joining the financial profession, to retain women in the profession, and to influence culture from within.

So why is diversity and inclusion—whether gender or cultural—important? What does it mean to investors and the overall financial community? Well, by working in teams reflective of our diverse community, we can, ultimately, understand and serve our clients better. Furthermore, studies have found that diversity helps promote strategic decision-making by bringing in different ideas and exposing organizations to greater opportunities.

These are just a couple of examples of the benefits of diversity and inclusion in the workforce. Visit CFA Institute’s website, or connect with the Society, to find more information on upcoming initiatives and how you can get involved.